In My Daughter's Eyes
by slytherinprincess8870
Summary: What if Jack had a daughter? How would she change the Losties lives? Nothing will ever be the same... Pairings: JackXKate, SawyerXOCXBoone
1. It's a Charmed Life

**Summary: What if Jack had a daughter? How would she change the Losties lives? Jack's past is totally different and the island will never be the same. **

Jack Shephard sat in seat 23A next to his eighteen year old daughter, Cassie, on Oceanic Flight 815. They were heading back to LA X after a vacation in Australia that Jack had given his daughter for her senior year. Jack looked out the window pensively as Cassie read _Gone With the Wind_ for the fifteenth time.

The flight attendant, Cindy Chandler, comes by and asks them how their drinks are.

"It's not a very strong drink," was Jack's lukewarm response. Cindy hands him two more of the sample bottles of vodka.

"Mine is fine, thanks," Cassie nodded with a smile, sipping her mug of coffee.

Cassie had dark hair like her father and an angelic face with blue eyes like her mother. She was somewhat surprised when her father got the tickets. They never spend time together. He was very proud of her though, she knew that much. She was going to become a spinal surgeon just like her father and he was happy about her decision. Cassie wore a thin white tee, jean shorts, a silver locket with her deceased mothers photo inside and a pair of Ariat walking boots her father got her the Christmas before when they were in the Adirondacks. She texted furiously to her friend Caroline about plans before going to college, brunch at the country club was Cassie's idea.

"Are you nervous?" her father asked.

"About what?"

"Going to college," he responded, "It's a big move ya know?"

"Yeah, I know. But no, I'm not nervous. I'm more excited than nervous."

Jack smiled at his daughter, "That's good, I'm glad."

The plane shook with light turbulence and Cassie clutched onto the arm of the chair with her right and quickly grasped her father's hand with her left. She wasn't nervous about college, but she was definitely nervous on planes.

"Don't worry," a voice next to her said in a calm voice, "my absent husband says planes _want _to stay in the air."

Cassie opened her closed eyes and saw a woman with a welcoming face smiling kindly at her.

"Your husband sounds like a smart man," Jack said.

"I'll tell him that when he comes back from the bathroom."

Suddenly the plane started to shake more violently before making a sharp, uncontrolled decent. Some of the passengers fell out and some even hit the cabin roof. To Cassie's horror an oxygen mask fell in front of her. Jack and Cassie secured the masks on their faces before closing their eyes and waiting for it to end.

XXXXXX

Cassie's eyes shot open, revealing her beautiful sky blue irises. She looked up at the island trees above her she tried to get up, but a shooting pain shot through her spine. Cassie looked down and saw that a huge rock dug into her right leg. She couldn't feel that leg. A metallic taste dripped into her mouth and her hand quickly went to her head. A huge gash was in her forehead. She screamed for help, but she couldn't hear her own voice. Her ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. Cassie looked down at her legs with tears streaming down her face. She used to play volleyball, softball, field hockey and she used to dance ballet.

It was never going to be the same.

Different thoughts rushed through Cassie's mind. Like if there were any survivors and if there were was her dad one of them? How'd she get out this deep into the jungle? Should she get the rock out of her leg? Is she going to die out here?

XXXXXX

Jack ran haphazardly through the bamboo jungle, screaming for Cassie along the way, but of course there was no reply. _I lost my daughter; I lost my daughter, _were the only four words that ran through his mind. He burst out of the jungle only to find a pristine beach damaged by the burning mid-section of the plane. People screamed and cried for lost ones just like Jack was doing a few minutes earlier. He looked around for Cassie, but did not see her. Jack, being a doctor started helping people. He pulled a passenger with a crushed leg out from one of the planes detached landing wings with the help of three other men. Jack then helped an 8 month pregnant woman away from the wreckage with the help of a rather large man. This is just what Jack does, he's a doctor. Jack then caught somebody performing CPR wrong.

After the rush Jack wandered toward the fuselage and peered in, not knowing what he would find, perhaps his daughter. Boone, the person performing CPR wrong, came to Jack with a bunch of pens in his hands, "I didn't know which one would work best."

Without looking at them he said, "They are all good…have you seen a girl with dark brown hair in a white T-shirt and shorts around here?"

Boone shook his head solemnly, "No, I haven't…sorry." He walked away to his sister, Shannon.

XXXXXX

Nighttime fell upon the losties and no one has seen Cassie. Sawyer smoked a cigarette grimly while looking at the wreckage, the pregnant woman, Claire, stared off into the ocean, the large man, Hurley, gathered meals from the galley and the lady sitting next to Cassie, Rose, tearfully kissed her wedding ring. Jack was tending to an unconscious Edward Mars and in the night they all heard the mechanical sounding noises from the jungle in fear. After hearing the noises Jack worried that whatever was out there had gotten Cassie.

Day 2

Sawyer was never one to hang out around big groups that he didn't care for. As Jack, Kate and Charlie went out searching for the cockpit and the little gizmo inside, Sawyer went searching for lost luggage. As he trekked through the jungle picking up random junk as he went along. Sawyer was about to leave before he heard someone cry out, "Help!"

Sawyer turned around quickly and called out, "Hello?"

"Help!" there he heard it again.

He walked further into the jungle as a downpour started to come down on him, "Where are ya?" he called out.

"Over here," it sounded like a girl, Sawyer knew that much. His boots sloshed around in the mud as he walked further and further in. He suddenly tripped on something. Sawyer looked down only to realize it was a person's leg. It was a girl. Sawyer didn't know her, but he didn't care. She was unconscious and Sawyer saw that a tree limb had fallen from the storm and hit her in the head. She had damp and dirty Cherry Coke curls. Pale skin and wore a white T-shirt. A sharp rock pierced her right leg. She was beautiful; no doubt about it, but Sawyer didn't know what to do. Sawyer kneeled down pushed some hair out of her face, "Hey," he murmured, "Wake up now, don't be dead on me." Sawyer pressed his head lightly against her chest and could hear a slow heartbeat. Right when he thought it was about to stop it gave off another soft beat. Her eyes fluttered open and out loud Sawyer said, "So _you're _the Docs daughter," remembering the doctor asking if he's seen his daughter, giving the description.

"Please," she choked out, "Help me." Her big blue eyes, _the color of heaven, _Sawyer thought, pleaded with him.

"But your leg-," Cassie cut him off.

"I can't feel it."

Sawyer's eyes went wide as hers started to close. She kept on murmuring, "Please help me…"

He's never saved someone's life before, but it's always a good time to start. Sawyer slowly got the rock out of her leg; since she didn't wake up from unconsciousness he believed that she really couldn't feel her legs. He scooped her thin and small body into his arms, her legs flailing around helplessly while her head was burrowed into his chest. As he got out of the jungle, the rain started to cease.

Shannon, who was bathing in her newly found bathing suit, jumped up and said rather loudly, "Oh my god he found her!"

Boone looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of the girls bloody body. He ran over to Sawyer and soon a bunch of others were following, crowding around him. "What happened man?" Boone asked.

"I don't know, I found her like this. She said she can't feel her legs. Back off Beach Boy and give the girl some space."

Claire came over slowly too, rubbing her stomach, "Is she gonna be alright?" her Australian accent thick.

The Korean couple, Jin and Sun, was bickering in the distance. Jin was telling Sun that she shouldn't get herself involved, but Sun finally won, walking past him telling him that she needed to help with what she knew in the medical field.

Sawyer brought Cassie to the tent he built himself and set her down gently and then came outside to tell the others to back off and away from his tent. Sun rushed up to him and he put his hands up, "Slow down there, Tokyo Rose, no one is going in to see her until Doc is back from his little adventure."

Sun looked taken aback, but pointed to herself and after a moment of thinking slowly said, "I…help..."

Sayid came up to Sawyer, "Just let her in, she may not speak the language, but she may be able to help."

"And who the hell are you, boy?" Sawyer spat.

Then Michael came up with a worried expression on his face, Walt and Vincent close behind him, "Walt found these in the jungle," he said holding up a pair of handcuffs.

Sawyer glared at Sayid accusingly, "So that's what happened? You blew up the plane, terrorist!"

Sayid pushed Sawyer in the chest, "Don't _ever _accuse me of being a terrorist, ibn al-kalb!"

They got into a brawl and that's when Jack, Kate and Charlie got back from the trek, Hey, break it up!" Jack yelled putting an arm in front of Sayid as does Michael, "What's going on?"

"Gen-u-ine I-raqi here took down the plane. The boy found handcuffs in the jungle," Sawyer hissed.

"I am an Iraqi not a terrorist," Sayid said, sticking up for himself.

"The guy sitting next to the damn Arab didn't survive the crash…" Sawyer kept on going, "And buddy was pulled out of the line shortly before he boarded the plane."

"Guys, forget about you!" Boone interjected, turning over to Jack, "Sawyer found your daughter…"

Jack's mouth fell open, "What? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's in here, Doc," Sawyer said lifting up his tent door.

Jack rushed in and Sawyer followed, making sure no one else came in, "I found her in the jungle. A huge rock was in her right, which I got out. She said she couldn't feel the leg with the gash in it…"

"Get me bandages, antiseptic and water. Please hurry," Jack said. Sawyer did as he was told and Kate brought some other medical supplies from the tent that held Edward Mars.

Jack took off his backpack and got out the needle and thread package from the other day. With the alcohol he cleaned the bloody needle off and set it down. He thanked Sawyer and Kate and then started cleaning her wound. Cassie's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her father's voice and murmured, "Daddy?" like she did when she was a child.

"I'm right here sweetie," Jack said taking her hand. He couldn't help the tear that fell down his face.

"I can't feel it…"

"I know, but everything's going to be alright. Okay?" Jack tried to reassure his daughter.

Cassie looked down and saw her dad take out a needle. She watched as her father stitched up the wound that she was unable to feel. Every time he stuck the needle in her flesh she kept on hoping that she would feel something, but she felt nothing. Cassie clutched the sand as he stitched her head wound and bandaged it lightly.

Sawyer and Kate stayed and watched. Cassie sat up on her elbows, feeling better in the head, but obviously not in the legs. She looked at Sawyer with her big blue eyes, "What's your name?"

"Sawyer," he said dryly.

She smiled at him, "Well thank you Mr. Sawyer for bringing me back here. I could've died out there if you hadn't have come."

The corners of Sawyer's lips twitched up a bit and he nodded, "No problemo."

Kate looked over at Sawyer curiously, "What were you doing out there anyway?"

He shook his head, "Nothing. Does it matter?" and with that he walked out of the tent.

**If you read this please review, it would make my day. And ibn al-kalb means son of a dog, just to let you know ;)**


	2. Closer

**Thank you for the previous reviews and I love seeing my stats going higher and higher. The support is amazing! **

Day 2

After talking to Sayid about the transceiver getting reception, Kate went to the tent where Jack and Cassie were working on Edward Mars's shrapnel injuries. Jack and Kate had helped Cassie hop along the beach to the other tent since Cassie didn't want to annoy Sawyer. Kate smiled when Cassie said Sawyer seemed like an 'irritable person,' and then adding, 'but with good intentions.'

Cassie sat on her left leg with her right hanging limply over it, conversing silently with her father about Edward's wounds and helping him with the injury. Kate didn't know why, but it made her heart warm up when she saw the father and daughter working together on Mars.

"How is he doing? Can you do anything?"

"We can pull out the shrapnel," Cassie said, looking up hopefully at her dad.

"Cassie, I'm not sure. Yesterday-," Cassie cut her father off.

"I don't know what was going on yesterday with him dad, but this is today…it needs to come out. Sawyer pulled the rock out of me and I'm fine. I mean I can't feel my leg, but I'm fine. If we leave him like this he can be dead within a day or so. We need to take the shrapnel out, somehow stop the bleeding and if we had any antibiotics…he may be fine."

Jack looked up at his daughter and he nodded taking in his Cassie's words.

Kate walked closer to the two and said, "I'm going on a hike with Sayid."

"Sorry?" Jack got up from his spot and pulled Kate to the side.

Cassie looked at Jack and Kate curiously as they talked in hushed voices about the hike. She ignored them, but was still curious. She'll ask him later and with some luck perhaps he'll give Cassie an honest answer.

A guy walked past the tent and Cassie got his attention, "Hey, um…what's your name?" she asked, looking up at him, blocking the sun from her eyes.

"Boone," he said, "and you're Cassie, right?" she nodded, "Can I help you?"

"Can you search around and find some antibiotics? I know it may seem rude to look around the deceased luggage, but this man needs them…any medical supplies you can find would be great," she said with a hopeful smile.

He nodded, "Of course, is there anything else?"

Cassie shook her head, "No, just that. Thanks. Are you going on the hike?"

Boone sat down next to her as they started conversation, "What hike?"

"Sayid and Kate are trying to find a signal for the transceiver."

Boone looked at a girl bathing in the sun and shrugged, "I'm not sure. I might stay with my sister, Shannon…" there was a moment of silence and then Boone went on, "But I don't know why they're so eager to go back in there."

Cassie looked up from Mars at Boone, "Why not? Did something happen?"

"Last night out here on the beach we heard these strange noises coming from the jungle and the trees were moving and being pulled out of the ground. Something is out there…"

Cassie's eyes widened, "So I wasn't going crazy."

Boone leaned forward, "Did you see what it was?"

"When I was out there last night I did hear strange noises, but then I saw black smoke fly above me…I guess that's the crazy part."

He nodded and smiled, "Yeah, I guess so..." Boone got up and started to walk off, "I'll look for those antibiotics for ya."

"Thanks again," Cassie called out to him.

XXXXXX

_So much for the antibiotics, _Cassie thought as she watched Kate, Sayid, Boone, Shannon and Sawyer walk off into jungle for the hike enviously. If it wasn't for her leg and Mars she would probably be going off with them. Cassie looked down at Mars and smirked, "I guess it's just you and me, buddy."

"Can I come in?"

Cassie jumped, surprised and turned around to see a bald headed older man lifting up the tent flaps, "Sure, come on in. Is there anything I can help you with?"

He shook his head, "No, I don't need help. My name is John Locke and you're Cassie. Am I correct?"

Cassie smiled, "Yes, you are correct."

"I understand that the crash paralyzed your right leg. I'm sorry…" Cassie looked at him curiously, wondering where he was getting at, "I feel as if it's my priority to tell you a story…but you have to promise not to tell anyone."

Cassie looked past John and at her father, who was talking to Hurley. She scowled at her father; he has probably kept many secrets from her. Before the crash Jack barely talked to Cassie, so how would she know if he was keeping secrets or not? After her mother's death he pushed away from Cassie, drowning in his job. She looked back at Locke and nodded, "I promise not to tell anyone." _I have no one to tell it to, _she wanted to add.

John gave her a weird but kind closed lipped smile, "Before I came onto this island…I was paralyzed from the hips down. I couldn't feel my legs at all."

Cassie's head bolted up and she looked at John with wide eyes and he went on, "I'm not going to bore you with the story of how I became paralyzed, but I went to Australia to go on a walkabout."

"W-what's that, Mr. Locke?" Cassie asked, still amazed.

"A walkabout is a 'rite of passage' ritual taken by Australian Aborigines at thirteen years of age, where the youth will wander around in the wilderness for six months. There was a tour in Australia that I signed up for, but when I got there…they said I couldn't go. The man said that I was unqualified because of my condition and that I should've told them about it. They said that I just _couldn't _go. I told them that they couldn't tell me what I can and cannot do, but I still watched as the bus drove off without me…"

Cassie's wide eyes stared at him in disbelief. She wanted to hug the old man and say how sorry she was for him not being able to go on his walkabout, but all she could say was, "I'm so, so sorry Mr. Locke. They should've let you go. And you're right, no one can tell you what you can and cannot do."

John gave her another smile, "But that's the thing, Cassie. If I went on the walkabout I wouldn't have been on Oceanic Flight 815 and I wouldn't have gotten the feeling in my legs back. I believe that it was destiny," Cassie's eyes begged him to tell her more, "I believe that we are all here for a specific reason."

"What's my reason, Mr. Locke?" Cassie choked back some tears that were threatening to break past her eyes.

"That's for you to find out, Cassie…" and with that John Locke left the tent, leaving Cassie to wonder what her purpose on the island.

XXXXXX

After searching for some antibiotics Jack came back to the tent with surgery knives and some food for him and Cassie. He sat down next to his daughter and handed her one of the plane meals, "here."

Cassie took it, but then set it down and out of nowhere she hugged her father tightly. Jack was taken aback by Cassie's random embrace, but slowly he hugged her back, "what's this for?"

"It's just…I missed you," her voice was muffled from her head being burrowed into his shirt, but Jack understood her.

"I was only gone for a few minutes. Did something happen?" he asked obliviously.

"No, nothing happened. I'm just happy that we're talking. I missed you, I can't explain it any other way dad," Jack felt a tear drip through his thin shirt and soon realized he had a few tears himself.

Jack stroked Cassie's hair, "I missed you too, Cassie…"

Right then they both realized why they were on the island: to become closer.

**For those of you who have read it, please review. It will make my day **


	3. Little Red With a Gun

**Thank you for all of the nice comments. The pairing might change randomly because I'm not even sure who Cassie is going to be paired with, my decision is changing all of the time. **

Day 2

After Jack and Cassie had their supper, Hurley came into the tent, "Hey I found some antibiotics. Or at least I think I did…" he sat down across from Jack and Cassie on the other side of Mars.

"Thanks, Hurley," Jack said. He looked at Cassie, "So let's get this thing out of him, shall we?"

Cassie nodded and took a surgery knife and held it up as her father burnt the edge with a lighter.

"So, he's really out?" asked Hurley.

"Yeah, he's out," Cassie said, "But he'll probably feel the pain, so…can you hold him down?"

Hurley nodded and held down Mars's shoulders, "I'm not so good around blood, Cass."

"It's going to be fine, just don't even look," Jack reassured Hurley.

Hurley was hesitant, but he then looked away. Cassie handed her father the knife and nodded for him to go on. Jack pressed the knife into Mars and quickly pulled out the shrapnel. Cassie took all of the towels and started pressing them against Mars's wound. Hurley made the mistake of opening his eyes, "Oh, God. Oh, God," he said over and over again.

"Hurley just don't look and hand me over those bandages," Cassie commanded.

"Hurley, don't." Jack said as Hurley's eyes started to close and he fainted, "Damn it!" Jack hissed.

Cassie handed her father all of the towels and crawled past Hurley and picked up the bandages. As Cassie and Jack started to stop the blood Mars started to wake up, "Oh no," Cassie murmured. She didn't look as Mars's eyes started to open, just his wound. All of a sudden he took her t-shirt and pulled her to him, "Where is she? Where is she?" Cassie's and Jack's eyes widened at his words, but still paid attention to the task at hand. Cassie grabbed Mars's hand and ripped it off of her shirt. She went back to tending his wound with her father as Mars kept on muttering crazily, "Don't trust her. She's dangerous."

"Who is she?" Cassie asked, not looking up from the wound.

"Look in my jacket pocket…"

Jack nodded at his daughter, "I've got this."

Cassie took Mars's jacket and found a piece of paper. And on it was a mug shot of Kate, "Dad?"

Jack looked up, "What is it?"

She turned the paper over so her father could see it and she asked quietly, "What do you think she did?"

Day 3

The next day Hurley came inside the medical tent, only to find Jack and Cassie with dark circles under their eyes from no sleep, "Woah…"

Cassie rubbed her eyes drearily, "Is there anything you need, Hurley?"

"The hiking group came back. I just thought I should tell you, that's all."

Jack nodded and he walked out of the tent, leaving Cassie to tend to Mars.

XXXXXX

After talking to Kate about Mars, Jack came back to the tent to find a worried Cassie. "She didn't tell me anything," Jack said.

"I wouldn't." Cassie said tiredly, "Dad, without more tools and stronger antibiotics…he won't make it through the night. The only place Hurley said he didn't look was the fuselage."

"I'll look there," Jack said, but Cassie shook her head.

"No, I'll go. Besides I can't just sit here all of the time. I need to do something with my legs."

Jack was hesitant for a moment, about to say no, but he didn't want to discourage Cassie, "I'll help you to the fuselage, but be careful, alright?"

She nodded, "Always am."

Jack helped Cassie to the fuselage and when they got there she grabbed the side of the plane for support and hopped herself up, looking through the luggage. Then she heard some rustling behind her. Cassie at first thought it was her father, but turned around only to see Sawyer pick through the luggage himself, "Boo!" he said with a grin.

Cassie rolled her eyes and laughed, "What are you doing in here?"

"Same thing as you, Cherry. Looking for things that will make me happy," Sawyer said with a smile.

"What's in your bag?" Cassie asked curiously.

"Some drinks, Playboys, smokes-."

"What kind of smokes?" Cassie asked with wide eyes.

Sawyer grinned to himself, "So the Doc's daughter smokes? Shouldn't you be against those types of things? Ya know lung cancer and all."

"Let's just say my father doesn't know," Cassie said, starting to search through some more bags.

Sawyer chuckled to himself, "I like girls like you. Rebel. What kinds do you like, lollipop?"

Cassie ignored the nickname, put some of the found drugs into the pouch slung over her shoulder and came closer to Sawyer, "Did you find any cherry ones?"

"Ha, how did I know?" he laughed, "Yeah, I found some cherries. Want to share one, cupcake?"

Cassie smiled at him, "I have to get back to my dad with the meds, but maybe tonight, if you've got the time." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh I've got nothing but time, sister. I'll be in my island hut waiting for you, Little Red."

She nodded, "Alright, meet you then."

XXXXXX

When Cassie got back to the tent she saw the marshal grabbing Kate by the throat. As fast as she could Cassie pushed the marshal back as Kate gasped for air. The marshal then went into shock, shaking out of control. Cassie took some water out of her pouch and poured it into the marshal's mouth, "What did you do?" she asked Kate.

"I was just checking and he just started choking me," Kate said breathlessly.

"Is he alright?" asked Jack, coming in from the storm outside.

"He needs some more antibiotics and his fever is 104. He's also bleeding internally."

Jack shook his head at Kate with a disapproving look and started to go back outside, "He needs some more water."

Kate looked at Cassie for a moment and then followed Jack outside. After a few minutes she heard her father yell, "I'm not a murderer!"

When Jack came back the marshal was screaming and they could hear murmuring outside the tent. "Everyone is wondering what's going on in here." He said.

"What were you and Kate talking about out there?"

"She suggested that we euthanize him, but I told her off."

Cassie looked down sadly and murmured, "Dad, I think that's what we have to do."

Jack looked up at his daughter with his mouth hung open, "What?"

"He's not getting better, Dad…"

Jack shook his head, "No, I'm saving this man, Cassie."

Cassie sighed and got off the ground. She wanted to be like her father, but she knew that Mars was going to die, no matter what they did. She hopped out of the tent only to find Sawyer with a gun in his hands. They just stood there for awhile looking at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. Jack walked past them over to Hurley and Cassie looked up to Sawyer again, "Where'd you get the gun?"

"Kate gave it to me…to put the man out of his misery," he said solemnly.

"You shouldn't have to do this Sawyer…" Cassie said.

"And why not, Red?" he asked.

"Because you weren't there. You don't know him. You can't help him…" Cassie put her hand out, "Please, give me the gun."

"Do you even know how to use it?" Sawyer asked.

"Yes," she said irritably, "I've used a hand gun before…"

"Have you ever killed someone?"

Cassie looked down at the ground and gave a slight nod. Sawyer set the gun in her hands and walked with her over to the tent. Kate was in there talking to the marshal. When she was done she looked up and raised an eyebrow at Cassie and Sawyer, "_You're _going to do it?" she asked Cassie, looking at the gun in Cassie's hands. Cassie nodded and Kate looked at her with wide eyes, "Why?"

"My father is a very protective person, Kate. He wants to save everyone. He's going to be mad at me for killing him, but it's better than him being mad at you or Sawyer…"

Kate looked at Cassie with worried eyes, but then nodded, leaving the tent.

"Shoot him in the heart, Cass…" Sawyer said.

She shook her head, "In the head."

When Cassie heard her father yell outside, "What did you do?" she pulled the trigger. Blood splattered the tents side and the gun fell to the ground, which Sawyer picked up. Sawyer walked outside with the gun in hand, taking blame for killing the marshal.

**If you read it all please review, it will make my day. **


	4. A Fresh Start

**Thank you for the previous reviews and I will be so, so happy if you review on this chapter. Thanks **

Day 4

Cassie woke up in Sawyer's tent the next morning. After Sawyer got into a fight with Jack about Mars wanting to die Sawyer took Cassie to his tent saying that she didn't have to face her father just yet. He was surprisingly kind to Cassie about the whole thing. Sawyer didn't ask any questions afterwards, they just silently went to his tent and shared a small cherry cigar while looking up at the stars above.

Cassie got out of the tent only to find Sawyer sitting outside it with a book in his hand, "Good mornin' sunshine."

"Good morning," she said, sitting down next to him, "What are you reading?"

"_Tess of the d'Urbervilles_," he said plainly.

"Wait, where'd you get that?" Cassie asked. She had the same book in her luggage. Looking over at the cover of the book Cassie realized it _was _the same book from her luggage.

Sawyer smiled to himself and looked over at Cassie, "So that luggage was yours?"

"You went through it?"

"Yes I did, Miss Cassie. I found some really nice lingerie in there. Just telling you now that the black lace really turned me on," he smirked.

"Ugh! Where is it?" she asked.

"Calm down there, sweetheart. It's right here." He patted Cassie's cow-printed suitcase, "I really like the print by the way."

"Ha, thanks. Keep the book if you'd like, I already read it five times."

"So you're a reader." Sawyer said in genuine interest, "I am too." There was a moment of silence between them before Sawyer spoke up again, "So are you going to talk to Jacko today?"

"Yeah, I'm going to tell him the truth, that I killed him. Why did you take the blame anyway? That was stupid of you."

"Because you didn't deserve to have your father mad at you."

"And you did?" Cassie asked.

Sawyer set the book down and looked at Cassie, "Who did you kill, Cassie?"

She looked down at her hands and shook her head, "Forget about it, Sawyer."

XXXXXX

Later on that day Cassie found her dad sitting on the edge of the beach, looking out into the ocean. She hopped over to him and sat down beside him, "Dad, I'm sorry."

Jack looked over at her, "Sorry for what?"

"Sawyer wasn't the one that shot the marshal…I did."

He looked away from Cassie and back out into the ocean. Jack didn't say anything for what seemed like forever and Cassie was becoming worried that she screwed up her and her father's relationship once again. But finally Jack said, "You were right."

"What?" Cassie asked, astonished.

"You were right; Mars was going to die anyway."

"A-are you mad?"

Jack shook his head no in reply, "I'm not mad, Cassie. Maybe a little disturbed, but not mad. How about we act like last night didn't happen, alright? He was a lost cause and I just had a hard time believing it. You didn't kill him, you helped him. I just don't want to lose you again, Cassie. I don't want this to make things worse. After your mother died…you must understand why I didn't talk for a while. I'm sorry I made you do what you did back then. I'm sorry I ignored you."

Cassie shook her head, "its fine Dad. Being on this island is like a new beginning. A fresh start."

He nodded at his daughter with a smile, "A fresh start…I like it."

XXXXXX

That night Cassie and Jack were awoken by the sound of Vincent, Walt's dog, barking. Jack helped Cassie outside and they came to the fuselage, which Vincent was barking at. The other survivors crowded around the fuselage with them and there they heard rustling and roars emanating from the fuselage.

"Somebody is in there," Claire said in a worried tone.

"Everybody in there is dead," exclaimed Sayid.

"Sawyer," Jack said.

"I'm right behind you, jackass," said Sawyer angrily.

Jack took out a flashlight and shined it in the fuselage. Sawyer took out his own bigger flashlight impatiently, "I'm gonna shed some light on this thing." He flipped it on only to find two bright eyes staring back at him. Everybody screamed and ran when realizing the creature was running towards them. "Come on now, sweetheart," Sawyer said taking Cassie by the waist and lifting her up slightly as he ran. Only a silhouette in the dark the creature ran out of the fuselage and into the jungle.

"What the bloody hell, was that?" Charlie asked, looking into the jungle along with everyone else.

"Boars," John Locke said, giving the only explanation.

XXXXXX

As Jack tended to Charlie's wound Kate, Sayid and Cassie watched intently. "Those boars were looking to feed," Jack said, "We have to get rid of the bodies."

"Bury them?" Charlie asked, "There's a whole bunch in there."

"More than twenty," Cassie said, "I counted yesterday."

"It's going to be difficult without shovels," Sayid said, arms crossed.

"Not bury, burn." Jack said, putting bandages on Charlie's wound.

"They're people," Kate said sadly.

"I know they're people, Kate," Jack said in a 'no shit' tone.

"Burning the remains? They deserve better than that," Sayid argued.

"Better than what? Being eaten by wild animals?" Jack said.

"He does have a point…" Cassie murmured, "It's going to take too long to bury the bodies. Maybe we'll have a memorial for them. And besides lighting the fuselage will create a strong signal fire that can probably burn for a few days."

"What you say may be true, but for us to decide how these people are laid to rest? It's not right. With no regards of their wishes? Their religions?" Sayid asked.

"We don't have time to sort out everyone's God," Jack said.

"Really?" Charlie asked, "From all that I've heard we have all the time in the world."

"Hey, I'm not happy about it either," Jack went on, "But it's been four days and we crashed a thousand miles off course. They're looking for us in the wrong place. Like Cassie said, it will create a good signal fire and a memorial can be given. Tomorrow everyone is going to be searching for wood and dry grass and by night that fuselage is going to be turned into a furnace." And with that Jack walked out of the tent.

Charlie stood up, "If he's so eager to burn the bodies why are we waiting until sun down to do it?"

"He's hoping someone would see it," Kate murmured.


	5. The Memorial

**Thank you all for the support. I love to hear from you and if you have any questions or recommendations I would be glad to hear them **

Day 5

"What's your problem? Hand them over!" Hurley yelled, trying to get at Sawyer's back pack.

"How about no," Sawyer said, pulling it away.

"Come on guys, stop it," said Boone, trying to break up the fight.

"You aren't happy unless you're screwing over someone-."

"Oh, I'm just peachy, Lardo."

"Knock it off," Boone tried again.

"Stay out of this, Metro," Sawyer yelled.

"Hey, break it up," Jack said, pushing the two away from each other, "What's going on?"

"Sawyer is holding the last of the peanuts," Hurley said.

"My own stash, I found it in there," Sawyer argued, pointing the fuselage.

"What about the rest of the food?" Jack asked turning towards Hurley.

"There is no rest of the food, dude," Hurley replied, "We kinda…ate it all."

"What?" Shannon asked, she still kept up her diet while on the island and was starving.

More murmurs came from the survivors of no food and starving to death. Cassie looked at her father worryingly.

"Okay everyone, just calm down," Jack said, a bit worried and unsure himself.

"We can find food," Sayid reassured them, "There are plenty of things on this island we can use for sustenance."

"And how exactly are we going to find this sustenance?" Sawyer asked mockingly, sitting in one of the planes chairs that he pulled out. A knife hurtled towards him, hitting a piece of plane wreckage right next to his head.

Everyone turned to the thrower: John Locke, "We hunt."

"How did you get this knife on the plane, Mr. Locke?" Cassie asked, taking it out from the wreckage and twirling it in her hands.

"Checked it," he said simply as Cassie handed him the knife back.

"What exactly do you plan on hunting, Mr. Locke?" Jack asked.

"We know there is wild boar here, razorbacks by the looks of it. And the ones we saw last night were piglets, one hundred and fifty pounds each. This means that there is a mother nearby, a two hundred and fifty pound rat. Boars usually attack by circling and then charging from behind, which is why I was planning on having around three coming with me to hunt them. Three of you to distract the mother so I can grab one of the piglets, pin it and then slit its throat," John said in a calm and easy voice.

"And you gave him his knife back, Red?" Sawyer asked, looking at Cassie.

"Well, cowboy, if you've got a better idea we'd all be happy to hear it," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh it sure is nice hearing somebody give him a nickname," Hurley murmured behind her.

Sawyer ignored him and went on, "A better idea than the three of ya to go wandering off into the magic forest to bag a hunk a ham with nothing but a little bitty hunting knife? Hell no. It's the dumbest idea I ever heard."

John Locke smiled at Sawyer and went over to a case. He knelt down and opened it up only to reveal that it was full of about twelve hunting knives.

"Who is this guy?" Hurley asked. The only one in the camp who knew who John Locke was or used to be was Cassie Shephard.

XXXXXX

Later that day Michael and Kate both agreed to go on the hunting mission with Locke, leaving one spot left open. Locke asked Cassie if she wanted to go. She appreciated Locke believing in her and trying to let her in on the fun, but she had to say thanks but no thanks.

Jack and Cassie began to help getting wood set up in the fuselage when Claire came up behind them, "Um, Doctor?"

"Jack," he said, "Claire right?" she nodded, "How's the baby?"

"He's good, yeah, thanks," Claire said with a smile, "I found this on the plane," she said, holding up an album to Jack, he took it as she explained, "They're wedding plans for Steve and Kristin. They were sitting a couple rows behind me. I remember because they looked so happy."

"I don't understand Claire what I'm supposed to do with this," Jack said, giving the plans back to Claire.

"Some of us were wondering if we should do some kind of memorial service or something. And maybe…You could lead it?"

"No, I'm not sure."

Claire went on, "Just a few words or maybe read some names off of the passports and stuff-."

Jack cut her off, "I'm sorry, but it's just not my thing."

Claire looked abashed and she stepped back, unable to say anything. Cassie, listening to the whole conversation came over to Claire, "It's my thing."

"Oh, oh it is?" Claire asked smiling.

As the two girls talked about the memorial Jack looked over at them and he swore he could hear his daughter say, "Sorry, my dad can be oblivious to things sometimes."

XXXXXX

After Sawyer gave Cassie a few things he picked up from the wreckage for the memorial Jack came back to the beach with Rose, who had been sitting looking out into the ocean for days. Rose came over to Cassie and smiled, "So you must be Jack's daughter."

"Indeed I am. I'm glad to see that you've decided to come and join us for the memorial. Would you like to say anything?" Cassie asked gently.

"No thank you…so your father told me you would like to become a spinal surgeon like him, he's very proud by the looks of it. He couldn't stop talking about you."

Cassie blushed. Her father? Talking about her? She couldn't believe it, "It's the family business. I was kind of born into it."

Rose smiled, "That's the same exact thing he said about his career. Like father like daughter…" she said and with that she walked off and began to help the others with the wreckage.

XXXXXX

Right before sundown Kate and Michael came back from the hunting trip, but no Locke. Cassie worried about the man who gave her hope, hopped over to Kate and asked, "Where's Locke?"

Kate looked around the camp, hesitant, "That thing…the monster, it was heading towards Locke's direction and…I think he's gone, Cassie."

Unable to speak Cassie just shook her head and turned away from Kate, facing the jungle. And as if on cue, John Locke came out of the jungle with a wild boar in his hands. Cassie started to go towards Locke slowly with her right leg dragging behind her. Kate easily caught up with her and started helping Cassie along the beach towards Locke. Cassie and Kate caught up to Locke with Jack just a few steps behind them. "Good job, Mr. Locke," Cassie said. Jack and Cassie looked at each other, looked at the boar and then back again with grins on their faces.

"What are you two grinning about?" Kate asked curiously.

Cassie just shook her head and then looked down at the boar again as Jack said, "Cassie's a vegetarian."

XXXXXX

"Judith Martha Wexler," Claire read at the memorial, "She wore corrective lenses, was from Denton, Texas and was catching a connecting flight."

Boone held a torch and Hurley and Cassie stood besides her giving her the objects and the information of the deceased.

"Emmanuel Rafael Ortiz. I believe he had children because he had movie receipts for _Willy Wonka _and _The Little Princess_. From he's passport it doesn't look like he traveled much," Claire went on.

Cassie smiled at the mentioning of _The Little Princess. _Her father used to read the story to her all the time and in her head she could still hear him read: _She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face. It would have been an old look for a child of twelve, and Sara Crewe was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time._

"Millicent Louise D'Agostino from Teaneck, New Jersey, Harold Wolstein…" Claire went on with a list of names and random information as Cassie looked past the sad and gloomy faces in front of her and to the coast line where she saw her father looking out into the ocean.

**If you read it all please review, it would make my day The next chapter will have the first flashback, just to let you know **


	6. How It All Started

**Please review with a cherry on top. It will make my day **

_Flashback_

Jack Shephard and Jill Fields were both sixteen and were both boyfriend and girlfriend. They were young and together; let's just leave it at that. Theirs was a kind of puppy love; the pure and childlike admiration shared by two flighty teenagers who thought they had it all. Jack thought he was in love with her…but no. He just cared for her, perhaps more than he cared for anyone else.

They had the perfect summer together and Jack fell for Jill (no pun intended). At the time Jill was everything Jack wanted in a girl: kind and caring but with a free spirit. One night Jill came through Jack's window, sobbing and as pale as snow.

"Jack," she cried, "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Jack hissed in the darkness. He heard what she said, but he couldn't believe it.

"I'm late and I'm pregnant…" Jill shook her head with tears streaming down her face, "I'm scared. I'm not ready to be a mother," she sobbed as Jack took her in his arms.

"Shh, it's going to be alright," Jack reassured her. All Jack could think about was that he was going to be a father…he always wanted to be a father. Jack was sure that Jill was going to love this baby as much as he already did.

A week later after Jack reassured Jill that everything was going to be alright, he told his parents. Jack's mother didn't talk to him for awhile, but told him to make sure she kept the baby. His father on the other hand, was furious. Christian Shephard's anger tripled when he found out Jack wanted to be a part of the baby's life. He couldn't stand to have the Shephard name soiled. But Christian did give Jack an ultimatum: to either get rid of it or never bother coming back. Of course after a few week of being absolutely furious, Christian gave in to the whole idea of his only son being a teen parent.

When Jill told Jack she was ten weeks in, Jack scooped her up and twirled her around in his arms. But of course Jill wasn't happy. She was scared, terrified even, she didn't want to be a mother. Jill kept on saying that a baby could ruin her life. Jack couldn't believe what Jill was saying, the bond between a mother and a child was supposed to be something beautiful. He could only hope that after the baby was born Jill would change her mind and keep it. Jack just took her in his arms and told her that they were in it together and even asked her to marry him (which they eventually did). He said he wouldn't let people treat her like a common whore, because she wasn't. Over the next nine months Jack showered Jill and the bump with little gifts, cooking dinner in the tiny house they bought with their summer jobs pay and some money their mother's secretly gave them. He did everything he could to let Jill know that her and the baby were important to him.

Anyway, Jack's plan worked. Occasionally he would find Jill stroking her belly in adoration or whispering sweet things to it (they didn't know the gender). All of her tears soon went away, like Jack knew they would.

And on October 31st, Halloween, Jill had a natural, trouble-free birth. Jack waited outside the hospital room impatiently. And finally they let him in. Jack smiled when he saw the baby wrapped in a pink blanket in Jill's arms. He rushed to Jill's side and he didn't stop smiling from the second his daughter was placed into his arms. She had Jack's dark hair with a tint of red from her mother and bright blue eyes that took Jack's breath away. The little girl was beautiful. Jack was the first one to say her name out loud in the hospital, "Cassidy Lauren Shephard."

Day 6

"Jack!" Charlie screamed, "Jack! Wake up!"

He slowly opened his eyes and got up. "Jack! Someone is drowning! I don't swim! You have to save her! I don't swim!"

Hearing what was going on Jack got off of the ground quickly and ran to the water where the screams of a woman are heard far out.

"Daddy save her," Cassie murmured, who was standing on the shore.

Jack dived into the water, but after searching he found Boone instead, "Just breathe," he told him, "Just breathe."

Boone did as he was told, but asked him, "Did you get her?" The woman's screams answered his question, "Damnit!" Boone hissed as he pushed Jack further into the water, "Get her! I'm fine!"

Seeing that Boone was fine Jack swam further into the water trying to get to the girl, but he couldn't, she was too far out. And eventually her screams died out.

_Flashback_

After five years of missing out on Cassie's life for attending Columbia University and UCLA medical school, Jack finally got a job working with his father as a spinal surgeon at St. Sebastian Hospital. Jack, Jill and Cassie got a house on the outskirts of LA. From all of the money Jack made at the hospital the house was rather large and had tons of space for a little wild blue-eyed girl to grow up in. From Jill's upbringing with horses the three stalled barn in the back was filled and while Jack was off working Jill was teaching Cassie how to ride.

As normal Jack came home from work and gave Cassie, who was coloring, a kiss on the head, "Your first day of school is tomorrow, kiddo. Are you nervous?" He asked setting his case on the kitchen island and taking off his jacket.

"No, I'm excited," Cassie said with a smile.

"That's good…" he got a water bottle out of the fridge and sat down next to Cassie.

"Guess what dad," Cassie said not looking up from her sketch pad.

"What?"

"Grandpa and Grandma are coming over for supper tonight. Mom told me to invite them."

"Daddies parents?" he asked. Margo Shephard, came over occasionally, but Christian barely came. When he did though, he spent his time with Cassie outside, and only spoke two words to Jack: Hello and goodbye. The only family member that came every weekend was Cassie's uncle, Jill's older brother, Joey. Joey was a dreamer. After Cassie learned to ride horses well enough he started putting thoughts into her head about becoming a professional jumper or a barrel racer.

"Yup," Cassie said simply, "When I was talking to grandma she asked if I was playing the piano. Daddy, why would she ask that?"

"Um…because daddy used to play the piano."

"We have a piano in our house. Why don't you ever play it?" Cassie asked putting the crayons down and looking up at her father with her big blue eyes.

"Because I don't have the time," Jack said regretfully.

"Oh."

"Would _you_ like to play though?"

Cassie jumped in surprise, "Yes, can you teach me?"

Like before, Jack said no, he was too busy.


	7. It Was Beautiful

**Okay, I'm changing something I put in the last chapter. Jill's brother was two years old when Callie was born. I just wanted to change that for some things that I want to happen in the story. Sorry this chapter took so long to post, but I was on vacation visiting family. Thank you so much for the nice reviews each one I get I feel as if I'm opening a present on Christmas or my birthday. It's just an amazing feeling! Please Read, Please Review and Please Enjoy **

_Flashback_

Cassie walked into her now empty farm house. Jack was either working or taking care of Jill at the asylum. Cassie called it the asylum, but Jack didn't want to admit that's what it pretty much was. He always called it the Mental Health Facility or some other long name that should be abbreviated. After her father's death Jill all of a sudden became depressed and started moping around the house glumly. Jill was sent to the MHF after trying to take a few too many pills. Cassie was worried sick about her mother, but her grandmother and father kept on pushing her away, saying that Cassie shouldn't see her mother like this and so on.

The only person related to her that actually talked to her these days was her uncle Joey. Joey was only sixteen, two years older than Cassie and they went to school together, which was weird. Cassie was popular and Joey was a nerd. He had nerd glasses too, which only made it worse. Joey loved science and so did Cassie. They kind of had a knack for it. He was in the photography club and annoyed (and embarrassed) Cassie, by taking candid shots of her walking down the halls or reading a book. Although Cassie was considered "popular" she was shy and a straight A student.

Feeling scared about her mom Cassie went out to the barn in her riding gear and started to comb worriedly on her show horse Maximum. Hastily, she threw the emerald embedded saddle and rein on him. She tied him up to one of the riding rinks fences and put a bunch of barrels, poles and fences in the rink to practice. Cassie went to Birmingham, England once a year since she was eight with Maximum for the HOYS. The Best Horse Show of the Year. She learned everything she needed to know from her mother and grandmother about the equestrian world. Riding Maximum seemed to make all of the bad things in the world go away.

This year she competed in San Francisco and got second place. Last year she competed in Manhattan and got third. She kept on improving.

Cassie rode through the rink about ten times, thinking of only the obstacles and Max. She didn't even notice Joey on the sidelines clicking away, taking photos of her and Max in lunge positions. When she stopped she looked at Joey and frowned, "Where did you come from?"

"School, photography club," he said, shrugging.

"Do you think my mom is going to get better?" Cassie asked. She jumped off of Max and walked him over to Joey.

Joey petted Max's forehead and smiled, "They didn't tell you?"

Cassie's eyes widened, "Tell me what?"

"Maybe I'm supposed to keep it quiet. Maybe they wanted to surprise you…" Joey said teasingly.

"What surprise?!"

"Your mom is coming home for supper tonight," Joey finally said in a rush.

Glee washed over Cassie and she jumped up and down happily with a big smile on her face, "When did you find out?! When is she going to be here?!"

"Calm down there, Cass. She called me and she's coming down with your Dad and my parents."

"She called you?" Cassie asked, surprised.

Joey nodded, "Yeah. She even said she'd cook dinner."

Day 6

After what had happened with Johanna, Cassie didn't want to say anything to her father. He just walked back to the beach as if nothing happened and said nothing. She knew that he would blame himself for what had happened, but she didn't know what to say. To make him feel better. Kate was the first one to talk to him about what happened and Boone seemed to dislike him for saving him instead of the girl.

"Who made you our savior!?" Boone yelled. But Jack had his eyes set on something that Cassie saw too. It was a woman with blonde hair and in a pale blue gown.

"Mom?" Cassie murmured behind Jack.

Jack ran past Boone as he angrily shouted, "Where are you going!?"

As she watched him run off into the jungle the only thing she could think of was, "Is it really her?"

Her father saw her too, so she wasn't the only one that was going crazy. Picking through her luggage Walt ran up to Cassie, "Hey, hey!"

She stood up on her able leg, "What's the matter?"

"The pregnant lady fell down," Walt said eyes wide.

Cassie came over to the medical tent where Charlie and Michael set Claire down.

"What happened?" Cassie asked.

"She just passed out," Michael said.

Patting her face lightly Cassie kept on repeating, "Claire, Claire. It's Cassie. You need to wake up now alright? Wake up, wake up." Finally her eyes fluttered open and Cassie turned to Charlie, "She needs water."

Charlie scrambled to where he put the bottles of water only to realize they were missing, "The water is gone."

"What!?" Cassie hissed, "Michael, there are some towels in that bag over there, grab a few and put them in the ocean. We need to wet her skin." Cassie started taking off Claire's Converse All-Stars as Michael went out to get the towels wet.

John Locke then came into the tent, "What's going on?"

"Somebody stole the water," Cassie said irritably as she tried keeping Claire calm and still.

"I'll go out into the jungle and look for some," John said, about to leave.

"Wait!" John turned around, "Can you by any chance keep an eye out for my dad too? He just ran off into the woods and I don't know what he was doing. I think he saw something."

"What do you think he saw?" John asked, interested.

Cassie shrugged, "I don't know. He just took off."

Locke nodded and headed off, "I'll look for your father."

"Thank you sir."

When Michael came back, Cassie put towels underneath Claire's armpits, on her arms and legs and on her forehead. "Charlie, can you stay here and just pat her forehead, arms and legs for awhile."

"Sure, where are you going?"

"I think I know who took the water. Or at least I think I know who would _want _to take it from our tent. I'm going to confront him."

"Who do you think it is?" Michael asked, "I'll beat 'em up."

Cassie smirked, "You don't need to do that Michael…"

He shrugged, "Maybe not, but whoever you think did that is one crazy bastard."

"He's not crazy; I think it was just a heat of the moment thing. Anyway, I'm outta here," Cassie went outside and she found Boone.

Boone looked up at her and wiped off his hands, "Can I help you?"

"Look Boone, I'm just going to say it, I know what you did," he frowned and furrowed his brows as she went on, "I know that you must've been mad at my father earlier today, but what you did was unreasonable and stupid."

Standing up, he towered over her, "What do you think I did?"

"I'm not stupid Boone, I took psychology electives in high school and I have a very strong feeling that you took the water today." Cassie waited for him to reply, but he didn't so she went on in a calm voice, "My father isn't the leader Boone, you can size him up all you like and I would even go get a ruler to see who's taller, but taking the water was really unnecessary and Claire passed out from a sun stroke. All I'm asking is for one bottle of water to help her. You do want to help her, don't you?"

Silently, Boone nodded and dug up the case of water that he kept under the sand like Sawyer does with his stuff. Kind of like a dog. Handing Cassie the case he looked down at the ground and looked as guilty as a child who was caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "I'm sorry," Boone said, "For yelling at your father like that. I probably would've done the same thing too actually…"

Cassie gave him a small, kind smile, "You don't need to be apologizing to me, Boone. Thanks though, for giving me the water."

Boone then helped Cassie back to the tent so she could give Claire the water. Pouring some of the water into her mouth, Claire opened her eyes and sat up, "Thank you."

"Take as much water as you need until you feel better Claire, alright? Right now all you need to do is relax and get some rest, for you and the baby. Try to get goodnights sleep and if you are alright tomorrow you probably can go back to normal and do whatever. Just try to stay hydrated and don't be in the sun for more than two hours at a time."

Claire nodded with a smile, "Thanks again…you sound so doctoral." She finished half of the water bottle and went to sleep.

XXXXX

Later on that night, Cassie couldn't go to sleep although she was as tired as heck. She kept on tossing and turning thinking about her mom and dad, who hadn't come back yet. Finally, she decided to try to look for him herself since John hadn't even come back yet.

Getting up, Cassie hopped out of the tent and towards the jungle, if she didn't see anything after awhile, she'd go back. Leaning on the trees for support she hopped through the jungle. When she looked up what she saw couldn't be possible. It was her mother, smiling at her with that kind smile that she gave when Cassie woke up in the morning or when she came home from school.

"Mom?" Cassie murmured. She came closer to Jill as she stood there with the kind smile, "How are you here?"

Soon she was standing right in front of her. Jill put her hands on her daughter's face and Cassie choked back a sob as she felt her mother's hands. "There's no time for that now, sweetie. I want to show you something. Follow me."

Jill walked away from her and Cassie gasped as she heard and saw the leaves and branches crunching under her mother's feet. It must've been her.

The forest was heavy with rain and the trees were absolutely motionless. Everything had withered and died, but right down on the ground the late autumn's secret garden was growing with great vigor straight out of the moldering earth, a strange vegetation of shiny puffed-up plants that had nothing at all to do with summer. The late blueberry sprigs were yellowish-green and the cranberries as dark as blood. Hidden lichens and mosses began to grow, and they grew like a big soft carpet until they took over the whole forest. There were strong new colors everywhere, and red rowan berries were shining all over the place. But everything seemed black to Cassie as she followed her mother to the light with a dead leg to a cave with a small waterfall and pond. Looking away from her mother Cassie looked at the pond which was shivering with the nights' touch. "How'd you find the water, mom?" No reply came and when Cassie looked up and into the eye of the island and what she saw…was beautiful.


	8. Jacob

**After reading a discussion about Jacob being God and the Man in Black being the devil I decided to incorporate that within my story. So from now on Jacob is God and the Man in Black is the devil. Simple enough, right? Thank you for all of the lovely reviews and I can't wait to hear some more! Please R&R and thanks for even clicking on this story. **

Day 6

Cassie stared into the eyes of a hauntingly beautiful black smoke surrounding her and saw her mother in the midst of them. She slowly took a step forward and like a flick of a switch the smoke grabbed her by the legs in one powerful grip and threw her up against the caves wall and the eerie silence was shattered by her scream.

XXXXX

Day 7

The previous night when Jack came back the first thing he noticed was that Cassie was gone. Nobody said they saw her go out and John concluded that they all must've been asleep when she left. Jack, worrying like crazy, running his fingers through his hair asked in annoyance, "What if she didn't just get up leave? She wouldn't do that! I know my daughter!" But the truth was, he really didn't.

"And I'm not saying that you don't, Jack. I'm just saying she had every reason to get up and run off into the jungle," John replied in a calm and level-headed voice.

Jack stopped pacing and looked at John right in the eye, "And what reason is that John?" More people from the group came around them, watching the conversation unfold.

"To go find her father, Jack," Kate said, stepping in, "We were all wondering where you were. And while you were gone Claire needed help and Cassie was the only one that knew what to do. What were you running after anyway?"

He looked down and shook his head, "Nothing," lifting his head back up Jack said confidently, "So who wants to be in the search party?"

John stepped up and said, "I'll go. I can track her."

Kate looked around uncertainly and said, "With both of you gone I should stay here if something happens."

"Anyone else?" Jack asked hopefully.

"I guess I'll go too," Boone said with a solemn expression on his face. Shannon scowled, but didn't volunteer.

And when they were about to leave Sawyer ran up along with them.

XXXXX

Cassie's eyes fluttered open and her head throbbed from being smashed into a wall. She was about to get up when a cold cloth pressed down onto her forehead. "Lay still," a calm voice murmured.

From the stinging pain in her forehead, Cassie could feel her stitches had been ripped. Her eyesight was blurry as her eyes fluttered open and she could just make out a man hovering over her with strawberry blonde hair and in a white shirt. "Who are you?" she asked unsteadily.

"I'm a very good friend of yours," he said.

"I don't know you…"

"You don't? Well I remember meeting you and when I saw you," he said finishing a stitch, "I knew you would be a very important person, to me _and _the Island."

Her vision cleared up and when the man was done patting her wound with a cloth she looked at him curiously, "What's your name?"

"If I tell you, you must promise not to tell anyone you saw me," he said, looking at Cassie calmly.

She shook her head, sat up against a rock and hesitantly said, "I promise I won't tell."

"My name is Jacob," he said lazily, as if it had no importance whatsoever.

"Were you on the plane?"

Jacob shook his head, "No, I wasn't. I've been on this Island for a _very _long time," he said, dragging the e in very out.

"How long?"

"Before time." He took the bloodied cloth and cleaned it off in a small bowl of water.

"That's not a good answer," Cassie said. Jacob didn't reply. "Why am I important to you Jacob?"

Laying the cloth out to dry, Jacob sat down Indian style on the floor next to Cassie, "Because you're one of the few of people I chose, that's why."

"Chose to do what?"

"Many things," he said sluggishly in that way that he does, "Now will you please stop asking questions?"

"Now will you please stop speaking riddles?" Cassie said, annoyed.

Jacob smiled at her, shook his head and took out a black pouch from the top of a rock, "I want you to keep these." He dropped the pouch into Cassie's held out hands and she opened up the pouch curiously and inside were two stones, one white and one black.

Cassie stroked them with her fingers and asked, "They're pretty…what do you want me to do with them?"

"What do you remember before now? Before you woke up."

"I remember…a smoke. And it made strange noises that reminded me of the ones that you hear when going up on a roller coaster. I looked into its eyes and I saw…"

"What did you see Cassie?" Jacob asked, leaning in in interest.

"I don't remember," she said looking up at Jacob, "I don't remember."

He sighed and sat up straighter, "Alright, well when you see that smoke again I want you to give it the black stone and say, 'now we're even.'"

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows and shrugged, "What will that do?"

"It'll annoy him, but he'll back away. You cannot die under his hand even if you don't have the stones. Only do this when someone else is in danger. Alright?" he raised his eyebrows.

She nodded, "Sure. It's a he?"

"Yeah, you know who the devil is right?"

Cassie's eyes widened. Was this guy serious? Seeing the shock on her face Jacob dismissed it and said "Lay back down and get some rest. I'm not going to be here when you wake up, but someone else will be. You'll be safe either way."

She didn't say it, but Cassie would feel a lot safer if Jacob were there. He had that kind of air about him. As if in a trance Cassie nodded, laid down and drifted off into a world much better than the one she was in.

XXXXX

"So where are we going?" Sawyer asked, "Are we just going to hope she pops out of the bushes? Or do you have a specific place in mind, Doc?"

"Before I came back the other night I found water, I was planning on telling you this morning, but before I could say anything I realized Cassie was gone," Jack said.

"When exactly did you realize she was gone?" Kate asked, keeping up with the pace next to him.

"After I came back, I went to bed and I thought Cassie was sleeping somewhere else, like she did the night Mars died. But when I noticed she wasn't there this morning well…here we are."

Sawyer sighed, "You didn't answer my question."

"If Cassie ran off after the same thing Jack did it probably means it led them to the same place. The water." Boone said it as if it were the most logical answer in the world.

"And what if she's not there?" Sawyer asked, annoyed, "Then what?"

"Then we keep on looking," John said, "End of story."

When they finally got to the cave Jack ran up, hoping that his daughter was inside, the rest followed and all of them stopped dead in their tracks when they saw her.

She lay in the center of the cave, sleeping with a serene look on her face as if she were having the best dream ever. Next to her on a ledge were two skeletons and surrounding her were bowls of water, a bloody cloth and a picture of her mother was propped up on a rock next to her. She gave out a little sigh like a baby would and that's when her right leg moved to the side.

"Was that the leg that-?" Boone asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, it was…" Jack said.

Her right leg moved again and that's when her eyes bolted open. Cassie's hand went to her leg and when she felt it she hopped off the ground as if it never happened. She smiled, not noticing the others in the corner. Cassie down at her leg as if she were looking down at a new dress. "I can feel it!" she exclaimed, still not noticing them.

"Cassie?" Jack murmured, "What happened?"

She jumped at the sound of her name and twirled around, broken from her reverie. "I…" she tried to find the right words, but Jacob said not to speak of him. "I saw her dad."

All the others except her father looked at her as if she were crazy. "Who?" Jack asked for clarification.

"Who do you think?" Cassie asked, still a bit winded from feeling her dead leg again.

"After you saw her…then what happened?"

"What her?" Sawyer asked, clearly annoyed, "I'm not catchin' on to this new lingo."

Cassie and Jack both ignored him and she replied, "I saw the monster dad."

John stepped forward with a shocked look on his face, "You saw the monster? Are you sure?"

"Pretty damn sure. It took me by my legs and flung me twenty feet in the air and I hit the wall of the cave. I blacked out and here I am…" Cassie looked around her and noticed Jacob's belongings were still there.

The others caught on to what she was looking at and John asked cautiously, almost as if her were accusing her of something, "Was somebody else here, Cassie?"

Cassie was a good actress. Her father and mother always said so, even when she was a baby. Once when Jack was feeding her Cassie made her face get really red and she made her eyes role into the back of her head, pretending she was choking, and when Cassie saw that look of panic in Jack's eyes, she'd burst out giggling. She usually did that when he was giving her carrots. Jack was only eighteen when she started eating the pureed baby food, he knew how to give CPR to an infant, but the sight of Cassie choking on those carrots always got to him.

Her eyes got wide and she shook her head, "I don't know, I don't remember. But whoever it was must've helped me."

When she saw the picture of her mother on the rock she quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into her pocket.

"I guess so…" Jack said, still looking astonished.

"So," Cassie said, putting her hands on her hips, "What now? Are we going to lead the rest of the group back here?"

Snapping out of his daze Jack said, "That's what I was thinking, it would be too hard to bring the water back and forth from the beach."

They all agreed with Jack and headed back to the beach, John and Boone in the lead, Jack and Kate in the middle, talking intimately, and Sawyer and Cassie in the front.

"So," Sawyer said, "That was some pretty good actin' you did back there, sweetheart."

Cassie knew she wasn't going to get past Sawyer. She sighed and looked up at him, "Why would you think I lied?"

"When John asked you if someone was there, before you answered you had that look in your eye…so who was there?" he asked.

Her voice dropped down to a whisper, "If I could tell you I would, but I won't."

Sawyer didn't say anything after that, he knew that Cassie wouldn't tell him, but eventually he would get it out of her.

XXXXX

Cassie looked at her father, Kate and Sayid talk intimately about the caves. She was still shaken by her encounter with Jacob. _Where did he come from?_ That was the question that ran through her mind the most. Even more than the question: _What importance am I?_

As she sat at the beach looking out at the ocean, Sawyer came up behind her and said, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the aspiring daughter of the Damn Spinal Surgeon," he sat down next to her lazily and she didn't move a muscle, "Well, while you're sitting out here everyone is wonderin' whose side you're on?"

Her eyes didn't waver from the ocean, "What are you talking about?"

"Hon' what I'm talking about is who are you going with tonight? The pessimist, the Doc or the optimist, the Iraqi."

Cassie let out a sigh and looked up at Sawyer, "Well who are you going with?"

He smiled at her, "Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? We all pack up stakes for the caves and the next day a plane passes by, they're going to go on their merry way and be none the wiser. On the other hand, stay here, get eaten by boars, fall off a rock, not going to be anyone around to answer that 911 call."

She couldn't help but give a small smile, "You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine and I asked first."

Cassie looked at the ocean one more time before getting up and walking over to Jin who liked like he needed water, but not before turning around to Sawyer and saying, "I don't know."

XXXXX

When twilight came everyone was either packing to go to the caves or getting ready for the night at the beach. Cassie stood at the beach, a place that she stood for a long time that day, thinking about her decision. Jack come up to her and put and a hand on her shoulder, "Hey kiddo, we're leaving, come on."

Cassie took a deep breath and shook her head, "No."

Her father frowned and she didn't look at him, she didn't want to. "What?" he asked in disbelief and Cassie didn't want to notice that small bit of pain in his voice.

"I'm staying at the beach," she said.

"Come on Cassidy...I…I just got you back."

"I know daddy, but I just can't go."

"Why not?" he asked, trying to reason with his daughter.

"I can't tell you and even if I did you wouldn't understand." Cassie choked out. She didn't want to stay on the island like some people like John Locke did she wanted to get off as soon as possible and nothing was going to stop her. Cassie didn't want to admit it, but she was kind of afraid of what Jacob told her. She didn't want to dig deeper on the subject.

Jack sighed and he looked down at his daughter. He wanted to keep his daughter in his sight for as long as he could, but he knew the time he should've done that has been long gone. All those years he didn't keep a close enough eye on his daughter he was either drowning in work or drowning in his own self-misery and depression while she was sinking in the same ship. Her junior and senior years were the years Jack kept the closest eye on her…after the incident. She was happy those two years she was better. But Jack still could feel pain when he remembered not taking care of Cassie before the incident, before he let his daughter fall into the same depression as him.

I guess you could say he didn't want to yet face the fact that Cassie was okay now and that she was old enough to make her own decisions. He still looked at his daughter as that little girl with the big blue eyes always looking up at him as he read to her a book before she went to bed or when Jack could make it to her horse shows and after, when she saw he was there, she would smile and give him a big hug.

Cassie was surprised by her father's answer. "Stay safe, Cassie." And with that he gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead and left.

XXXXX

That night when everyone was at the campfire, Cassie sat next to Sawyer looking into the flickering flames thinking of two things: One, her father and two, Jacob.


	9. Being A Hero

**Please review this chapter. Pretty please with a cherry on top, it would make my day. **

Day 8

Cassie woke up the next morning in a large, practically empty tent. All of her father's stuff was gone so that night after the fire she lined up a few of the medical supplies her father left her on the other side and created a bed like structure made of a bunch of blankets piled on top of each other. That side she hoped to use for a 'patient'. Cassie never felt this excited in her life. She felt like she was starting her career.

"Well good mornin' sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice." Cassie jumped at the sound of Sawyer's voice.

"Well good morning my genius next door," she said timidly.

"Ya know I kind of miss you in my tent. I'm getting lonely over there and Tess isn't really giving me any company."

Cassie smiled at this, "She's afraid of the world, but can you blame her?"

"If she would stop blaming herself maybe I could sympathize," Sawyer said, walking around the tent and looking at all of the medications that were lined up in alphabetical order. "Well lookie-here. It appears to me that someone has OCD."

Cassie rolled her eyes and got up on her newly working legs. She walked out into the sunlight and stretched. "So what did I miss?"

"Well, Captain Falafel has come up with a plan to find the source to the French signal."

When treating Mars, Cassie remembered Kate telling her of the French signal. Cassie didn't know how to react to it at the time and she sure didn't now. If Sayid had a plan, great. If it worked, even better. She saw Sayid, Kate and Boone, probably talking about finding the source. "Are you going to get involved?" Cassie asked looking up at him.

He shrugged, "Why would I?"

She shook her head, "I don't know."

"Are you?" Sawyer asked, taking a step closer to her.

"Of course not. Although I would love to, I'm not. With what happened to Claire a couple of days ago…I can't risk not being here when someone needs me."

As Cassie opened up a Tupperware with some papaya in it for breakfast Sawyer asked, "Do you really wanna get off this island or what?"

Cassie shrugged, "Before I didn't because I thought my life would change for the better. I mean sure I have friends and family that miss me back at home, but I just didn't want to go."

Sawyer sat down next to her, "And now?"

She shook her head, "I want to get off so badly."

"Why the sudden change of heart, princess?"

Cassie didn't answer him and Sawyer didn't bother with prying. When Cassie finished the papaya Charlie came bursting out of the jungle screaming, "Hey, hey we need help!"

Michael came up to him, "What's wrong man?"

"It's Jack he's trapped!"

Hearing this Cassie got up from her spot, threw the Tupperware onto the ground and ran to them. Boone was right beside her and at the same time they asked, "What?!"

Charlie looked at Cassie with wide eyes and he said in a nervous and panicked tone, "A cave collapsed. We don't even know if he's alive! Come on, we've gotta go!"

Cassie couldn't believe it her first thought when she heard of her father's situation was that they'd all died and gone to hell. This was hell.

Michael asked for a few men and soon Sawyer was running along with them. Boone asked Shannon to turn on the switch for the fireworks at five o'clock and she hastily agreed, but not before implying that the mission sounded like something from Gilligan's Island.

As they ran up to the caves Hurley came into view, moving rocks out from the cave. "Wait! Hey, wait!" said Michael.

"Jack's in there," said Hurley with a scared look on his face.

Cassie knelt down and tried peeking through the rocks, "Dad! We're going to get you out alright?" There was no response and Cassie clenched her jaw and willed herself not to cry. She hated crying, as inevitable and human as it is she hated it. Cassie looked up at Sawyer and asked with a shaky voice, "What are we going to do?"

Michael spoke up, "Alright, this area here is load-bearing. We've got to dig where there's no danger of the wall buckling in on itself. Here, we dig in here so the wall doesn't collapse. Four at a time, by hand, until we can find some kind of shovel. We take shifts, and go slow. Whoever isn't digging should be clearing the rocks that we clear out and bring the water to whoever is working, okay. Let's move." Walt looked up at his father, surprised and proud.

The group started moving rocks. Cassie was the only one who didn't quite, even despite Michael, Boone and Sawyer telling her she needed to rest she kept on going. Finally, struggling at the opening, something gave way.

"Hey, we're through! We got a hole!" Michael called out.

Hurley came over to the hole, "Jack! Jack! Can you hear me, Jack? Come on dude, answer me." Sounds of moaning came through, "I can hear him!"

Boone turned to the others behind him, "He's alive!"

Cassie came over, "Dad, are you okay?"

Jack tried to sound okay, but as one could tell, that was a hell of a lot hard, "I'm pinned. I can't move…I can't move. Charlie was with me."

Her father always thinking of others made her give a small smile to herself, "He's okay dad. He got out, but hey, listen; we're going to get you out. Okay?"

He moaned and coughed.

"Okay," Michael said, "We can't safely make that tunnel any bigger, but since Jack can't get out, one of is going to have to go in there and un-pin him."

Hurley raised his eyebrows, "What, crawl through that?"

Boone grimaced, "I think we're going to need someone smaller."

Jin started speaking in Korean and Hurley said, "Dude, we don't understand Chinese."

Michael sighed, "Korean, their Korean man."

Charlie came back to the caves, "I'll do it."

Cassie shook her head, "You're still shook up. Don't worry; I'll be able to do it."

He shook his head, "No. You have an important job here on the island. Michael has a son, Jin has a wife and Boone has a sister. I have no one here. I'm doing this."

She held her breath as she watched everyone wish Charlie luck and as he started crawling through the tunnel.

Boone came up from behind her and put a hand on her back. Cassie jumped and looked up at him. "Hey, breathe, alright?" He handed her a bottle of water, "You need to have something to drink."

She walked forward, "Why isn't anyone digging?"

"There's nothing left to dig to," Michael said.

Cassie turned sharply towards Michael, "What did you just say?" When he looked down ashamed, Cassie ignored him and started digging. Soon enough everyone else started digging for Cassie's sake. They all felt bad for the doctor's daughter.

Sawyer grabbed Cassie's shoulder and he pulled her back, "Look here, little lady, you've been working your ass off for over an hour, now I'm telling you to take a break. You've been scaring the hell out of everybody and you're going to sit over at that rock and then have yourself a drink of water. You understand me?"

"I. Am. Fine!" she hissed.

That's when Walt shouted, "Hey, there's the Doctor!"

Everyone turned to see Charlie helping Jack to the group. Cassie ran up to her father and hugged him. "I thought you were a goner dad."

"Ow," Jack croaked, "My shoulder. Easy."

Cassie pulled away and her face got red, "I'm sorry, I'm just glad you're okay." She then turned over to Charlie and gave him a quick and thankful hug, "Thank you, Charlie, you save my father's life. I have no idea how to repay you."

"It was nothing." Charlie said with a small smile.

Everyone congratulated Charlie and he smiled to himself. Everyone looked to the sky as a bottle rocket shot through the sky from the highest mountain, then on the beach, and then finally somewhere in the jungle in the distance, that was Kate's. _Somebody should've told her, _Cassie thought. Cassie could tell that Kate had feelings for Jack. Before nightfall Cassie went to the beach and met up with Kate. She explained to her what happened to Jack, and as Cassie guessed, Kate then panicked and asked him repeatedly if he was alright. Cassie smiled and reassured her that he was fine.

"What can I do?" asked Kate.

Cassie shrugged, "Well, Charlie had to fix his dislocated shoulder…I can help you make a sling for him."

Kate smiled and nodded, "That would be great."

As Cassie watched Kate go off to give the sling to her father she smiled to herself. She felt as if she should be upset about her father and Kate being together, but she really wasn't. Her father deserved to be happy after all he's been through and if Kate made him happy, all Cassie had to say was let it be.


	10. It' Torture

**Thank you for the nice comments! I'll try to keep Sawyer's funny nicknames for people up. Please review, it would make my day **

Day 9

Cassie and Sawyer burst through the jungle away from the beach kissing feverishly. Sawyer pushed her up against a tree as their lips moved in sync and he grabbed her legs and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She stroked his face as he grabbed her back and picked her up. Cassie looked up to the stars and gasped for breath as Sawyer kissed her neck lovingly. Sawyer gently laid Cassie down on the soft earth, her pretty hair spread out around her head perfectly, like a halo.

Sawyer looked down at the beauty in the moonlight. No way was she a creature of the earth. She was an angel. He slowly and carefully leaned down to her and when she softly murmured, "Please," he quickly kissed her. She breathed heavily as he kissed her neck. Cassie turned her head at the slight sound at the sound of footsteps, but soon ignored them in her passion.

Sawyer asked Cassie with his eyes if it were alright and she nodded yes. She took off his shirt and he took off hers and soon they were kissing again. But then it all stopped when they heard her name called out, "Cassie?" And out through the dense forest came Jack.

XXXXX

"No!" Cassie's eyes flew open and she burst up from where she was sleeping. Hyperventilating, Cassie looked around in a panic only to realize it was morning and she was in her tent…not kissing Sawyer in the jungle. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out slowly. Finally, she got up and walked out of the tent.

Boone ran up to her, "Hey, I heard you scream. Are you alright?"

"It was just a bad dream, that's all."

"What was it about?" he asked.

"It was…" Cassie shook her head, "Just a dream. It was nothing."

Shannon was lying down in the sun and she looked up at her brother, "Boone, when are we going to have breakfast?"

Before Boone could reply Cassie jumped up, "I'll get you some breakfast. I've been picking fruit down the beach. Do you like bananas?"

Shannon looked up at Cassie and shrugged her tan shoulders, "Sure."

With her dopey expression, stereotypical blonde brain mentality, and diet addiction, Shannon struck Cassie as all fluff and no substance, the girl equivalent of low-calorie Cool Whip. But Cassie had to give Shannon some credit after lighting up the firework the other day in place of her brother.

Boone was about to be the gentleman and go help her, but Cassie ran off barefooted first. She got a basket from Hurley and piled the basket high with bananas, papayas and a few oranges. She tried to concentrate on the fruits, but her mind kept on wandering to Sawyer. When she started to walk back she jumped as Sawyer shouted to her, "Well if it isn't Wilma Flinstone! How are you on this fine morning?"

She turned to him in the water and then quickly looked back. He was in the water…naked. Cassie bit her bottom lip and tried so hard not to look and at least be polite, but she guessed Sawyer was quite confident. _He should be, _she thought to herself as she imagined his bare chest. What was this?! Cassie _never _thought like this. She was always the Doctor's sweet daughter. Cassie calmed herself, but still didn't look at him. With a shaky voice she said, "I'm great. I see you're enjoying yourself."

"That I am," she could almost hear the smile on his face.

"How's the water?" Cassie asked and she kind of wondered why she was even keeping the conversation up.

"A bit cold, but maybe if you joined me we could warm it up."

Cassie inhaled sharply and looked at Sawyer's face, not below, "I have to go bring these back." And with that she ran off.

XXXXX

Cassie came back to the beach and she and Shannon had a nice fruit breakfast. Shannon surprisingly didn't talk much at the moment and she kept looking down the beach where Cassie came from. When Shannon realized Cassie knew she was watching she looked down. But out of curiosity Cassie looked down the beach after a few minutes and there was Boone coming down, limping. Cassie set down her fruit and ran to Boone. She wrapped her arm around him and helped him up before he fell down.

"What the hell happened?" she asked.

Boone looked down at the ground ashamed and said, "Sawyer."

They got back to Cassie's medical tent and she took out the one bottle of peroxide she had. She took out some of the cloths and started cleaning Boone's wounds carefully.

"Cassie, it's okay. It's just a scratch," Boone reassured her.

She didn't realize it till then, but she was holding her breath and her face got red. Cassie let her breath out, but she was still fuming with anger. If Sawyer did this to Boone…she didn't know what she was going to do. "Scratches. Plural. You have scratches that are bleeding like hell and you have a black eye. Now I'm going to ask you again…what the hell happened?"

"He just jumped me. I didn't-."

"Why?" Sawyer wouldn't just do this for no reason. Or at least Cassie thought he wouldn't.

"Shannon has asthma."

Cassie raised an eyebrow, "I've never seen her have an attack before."

"Because she had an inhaler. She took hits when no one's looking. She's been embarrassed about it ever since she was a little kid. I guess breathing isn't cool," he smirked and Cassie gave the wounded guy a small smile. She liked Boone. He always seemed to have good intentions. He was…sweet?

But soon enough, Cassie was back to business, "_Had_ an inhaler?"

"It ran out a couple days ago. But I had 4 refills which should have been enough for a couple of months. But she always forgets her medication so I put it my suitcase. Today I see that jackass reading _Watership Down_." Boone said with malice in his voice.

"I'm guessing he took your suitcase too," she said, remembering that day when she woke up to see Sawyer reading her special edition of _Tess of the D'Urbervilles. _

He grimaced, "Yeah. If he has my book he has my luggage, if he has my luggage he has the inhalers. Her breathing got really rough today, Cass. If she has an attack, it's not going to be good."

Cassie nodded in understandment, "Okay…I want you to go send someone out to go get my father, alright? If Shannon has an attack I want you to lay her down in the tent. Most asthma attacks are triggered by humidity. Try to get her to exhale as completely as she can. Then, get her to inhale, slowly and steadily; try to calm Shannon while doing so. I need to talk to Sawyer. I'm sure he has them."

XXXXX

Cassie walked up to Sawyer who was chopping wood and tried so hard to look up at his face. Why did he have to take his shirt off?!

"What do you want?" she asked.

He set the axe down and stepped closer to her, "Excuse me?"

"What do you want?" she repeated.

"Blue eyes, I have so many answers to that question, I wouldn't even know where to start."

Cassie sighed and rolled her eyes, "What do you want for the inhalers?"

Sawyer put his hand to his chin, "Ah, good question. Hang on a tick. What do I want? A kiss ought to do it." He pointed his finger in exclamation.

Cassie clenched her jaw, "Seriously?"

"Yes seriously, a kiss from you, right now."

"I don't believe you."

"Which part?"

"Everything. You beat up a girl's brother for trying to get her medication and when asked for it you want a kiss in return. I'm sorry, but this act that you're pulling as the tough guy, I'm not buying it. That night I shot Mars and stayed with you…I woke up in the middle of the night and saw you reading that. I saw the look on your face as you read it and you folded it back nicely. It means something to you, Sawyer. It shows that you're human."

"Shut up," Sawyer hissed. "You want to know what kind of human being I am?" he pulled out the letter and handed it to her, "Read it. Read it!" he demanded, "Out loud."

Cassie took the letter delicately and opened it up and read a child's hand-writing, "Dear Mr. Sawyer, you don't know who I am but I know who you are and I know what you done. You had sex with my mother and then you stole my dad's money all away. So he got angry and he killed my mother and then he killed himself, too…" Cassie looked up at Sawyer.

He shook his head, "Don't stop now. You're just getting to the good part."

Cassie licked her lips and then went on, "All I know is your name. But one of these days I'm going to find you and I'm going to give you this letter so you'll remember what you done to me. You killed my parents, Mr. Sawyer." In shock Cassie slowly folded up the piece of paper and handed it back to Sawyer.

"Now about that kiss…" he said, but looking at the expression on her face he just smirked, "Didn't think so."

XXXXX

When Cassie came back, Sun was outside of the tent looking inside on a gasping Shannon. Jack was looking through Cassie's medicine supplies and Boone was trying to get Shannon to calm down, "Just try to breathe. Breathe. Come on Shann work with me."

Sawyer walked past the tent as if he didn't give a care in the world about the struggling girl inside. Jake, after Boone told him what happened, approached him, "Give me the inhalers—now."

"Hm, I wondered when the doctor's in town were going to stop asking nice."

Before he could even think it threw Jack punched Sawyer square in the jaw. Jack then quickly grabbed his shoulder in pain from it being dislocated the other day.

Taken aback, Sawyer touched his bloody lip and smirked up at Jack, "Well, it's about time, cowboy. Been telling you since day one, we're in the wild. Didn't think you had it in you."

Jack punched him again. Sawyer got up into Jack's face and stared him down, "Is that all you got?"

Cassie came out of the tent and pushed Sawyer away, "Get out of here you ass." She turned over to her father and gestured him back to the tent, "Don't go down to his level."

"Help! She's not breathing! The attacks are getting worse!" Boone said from inside the tent.

Cassie leaned over Shannon and looked her in the eyes warmly, "Shannon, listen to me. Look at me, look at me. You need to listen now. This isn't just the asthma, its anxiety. It's in your head."

"No," Shannon gasped.

"Yes. You know that your medicine's run out and you're panicking. Shannon, Shannon, look at me. We can fight this, together, okay? Nod your head, Shannon. Good. Breathe in through..."

"She needs her inhaler!" Boone panicked.

"Boone!" Jack snapped, "You worrying like a mother hen is not going to help."

"Breathe in through your nose, slowly. No, no, no. In through the nose, like this." Cassie demonstrated and then blew out slowly through her mouth, "This expels the "stale" air, with little or no oxygen in it. It may seem weird, to blow air out, since your instinct is to gulp it in...but it does work. You can do this Shannon. You can do it. In through the nose." Cassie did it along with Shannon until she was doing it regularly. "You got your breath. Yeah. Your color's coming back. See, I knew you could do this. Do you feel it?"

Shannon nodded, "Yes."

"It's passing. Okay. Again, in through the nose. Alright, just keep doing that. Keep breathing like that. That's perfect, good job."

Jack watched his daughter work with Shannon. He's never seen his daughter work like this before. She worked in the hospital after school and on weekends during high school, but they were always in different departments. He always heard that Cassie was good with the patients though. Jack walked out of the tent and Cassie looked at Boone, "Keep her breathing like this alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. You go on," Boone said.

Cassie walked behind Sayid and her father quietly as they discussed getting Sawyer to confess where the inhalers were. They walked over to Sawyer's tent where he was sitting in an airline seat asleep. Cassie hid behind a tree and watched. Sayid grabbed a big metal pipe and poised it over his head. Cassie flinched as he struck him and Sayid and Jack then pulled him away.

Her eyes got wide as they tied Sawyer to a tree in the distance and she ran after them, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"This was Sawyer's choice, Cassie, not mine."

Kate came out of the jungle too and watched from a few feet away. Sayid got a bucket of water and splashed it on Sawyer's face, bringing him to.

Sawyer looked up at him and smirked, "Well, ain't you the brave one, jumping a guy while he's napping. Uh-oh, I'm in trouble now, ain't I?"

"Sawyer, I'm giving you the chance to do the right thing. Now, all I want is the asthma medicine. Just tell me where the inhalers are and we'll stop." Jack said.

"Stop what, Chico?" Sawyer asked mockingly.

"Dad what are you going to do to him? What if he doesn't even have it?" Cassie asked worriedly. She looked over to Sayid who looked as if he was sharpening…bamboo?

Jack ignored her and said to Sawyer, "It doesn't have to be this way."

Sawyer let out a laugh, "Yeah it does." He looked up at Cassie, "Doesn't it sweetheart? Because I have sinned a great deal."

"We do not have bamboo in Iraq, although we do have something similar- reeds. But their effect is the same when the shoots are inserted underneath the fingernails." Sayid said, finishing with the bamboo.

Cassie's eyes got wide, "No!" she gasped.

"You know what I think, Ali. I think you've never actually tortured anybody in your life," Sawyer hissed.

"Unfortunately for us both…" Sayid said, "You're wrong." And that's when he jammed the bamboo underneath Sawyer's fingernails.

Sawyer's face started to get red in pain and his voice got louder, "That's it? That's all you got? Splinters? No wonder we kicked your ass in the Gulf..." And then a scream of excruciating pain echoed through the air.

Cassie could feel the tears pushing through the back of her eyes, but she shook them away and came towards Sawyer and Sayid, "Please stop!"

"No. Don't stop now. I think my sinuses are clearing," Sawyer said with a grin.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kate asked scrunching up her nose.

"Perhaps losing an eye will loosen up your tongue," Sayid said.

Sawyer sighed in defeat, "Okay, okay."

"Where is it?" Sayid asked, getting up.

"The only person I'll tell is her?" Sawyer said.

Jack furrowed his brows, "Kate?"

"No Jacko, you're daughter."

"What? Why?" Jack asked.

"That's the deal we made earlier. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" Sawyer put his head to the side and smiled at Cassie.

Cassie stared into his eyes and then nodded, "Yeah, it was."

Sayid started to walk away and Jack turned to Cassie before leaving, "I'll be close by, alright?" And nobody noticed Kate hiding behind a tree, wanting to see it all go down between Sawyer and Cassie.

"So I'm here." Cassie said, "Where is it?"

"Happy to tell you as soon as I get that kiss," he said smiling up at her.

"Are you kidding me?" she hissed.

"Baby, I am tied to a tree in a jungle of mystery. I just got tortured by a damn spinal surgeon and a gen-u-ine I-raqi. Of course, I'm serious. You're just not seeing the big picture here, angel face. You really going to let that girl suffocate because you can't bring yourself to give me one little kiss? Hell, it's only first base. Lucky for you I ain't greedy."

Cassie licked her lips quickly out of nervousness and then nodded, "Okay."

Sawyer smiled up at her, "Okay."

Cassie knelt down in front of him and Sawyer just kept that annoying smile on his face. She leaned closer to him and they were mere centimeters away from each other and then finally she put her lips against his. Their lips molded together and they fit perfectly. But Cassie knew she couldn't go on. She pulled apart from him and they just looked at each other for a moment.

"How did I know you're lips would taste like honey?" Sawyer asked with a smile.

Cassie was dazed. She never thought her first kiss would be with someone like Sawyer. Although she was eighteen, she lived a very secluded life and didn't get out as much in high school. Juggling sports, homework and her job. "Where is the inhaler, Sawyer?"

"I don't have it."

"What?!"

"The medicine, I don't have it. Never did." He looked at her with that annoying smile.

Cassie punched him almost exactly where her father did and she screamed in anger.

Kate who watched the entire thing in shock ran through the woods and then back to the beach. Jack and Sayid came up.

"He doesn't have it," Cassie said angrily.

"_What_?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"He's lying. Can't you see that? He's been lying from the beginning. He doesn't want us to get off this Island. That's why he attacked me" Sayid yelled.

"Now hold on a minute," Jack said, stepping closer to Sayid.

"He destroyed the transceiver!"

"You don't know that. Sayid!"

But before anything could be done to appease Sayid's anger he ran up to Sawyer. Sawyer somehow loosened his bindings though and they struggled against each other. Sayid then stabbed Sawyer in the arm, but quickly let go of it as if it were an accident. Blood spurted out and Cassie ran to Sawyer and knelt down beside him, "We need to make it stop!"

Jack ran to Sawyer and tried to hold him down. "Let go, I know you want to!" Sawyer yelled to Jack.

"Shut up and stop moving," Jack said angrily.

Cassie held down Sawyer's shoulders as he yelled at Jack, "You've been waiting for this, haven't you? Now you get to be the hero again, because that's what you do - fix everything up all nice. Tell him to let go, baby. We already made out, what else I got to live for? Hey, Jack, there's something you should know - if the tables were turned, I'd watch you die."

Cassie, in a fit of anger slapped Sawyer as hard as she could and screamed, "Shut up!"

Jack looked up at Cassie when Sawyer said they made out. Was that making out? Cassie didn't even know. Cassie shook her head, "He's a lying douche bag. We both know he just wants to get you pissed."

"Denying the truth to protect Daddy-O?" And then Sawyer was out.

Day 10

Cassie watched as Sawyer woke up with a pale bandage wrapped around his arm and his shirt off…again. But Cassie didn't really care anymore. She was too interested in Sawyer's background than his chest now. "You're lucky to still be alive," Cassie scowled.

"Jack?"

"Didn't talk to me after he patched your sorry ass up and went to the tent to check on Shannon," Cassie held up his letter, "I read it again, and then again, because I've been trying to figure out why you beat up Boone instead of just telling him you didn't have his sister's medication. Why you pretended to have it anyway. The thing that I keep coming back around to is that you want to be hated. Then I looked at the envelope - America's bicentennial, Knoxville, TN. You were just a kid, 8 maybe 9 years old."

"Cassie…"

"This letter wasn't written to you. You wrote this letter. Your name's not Sawyer, is it?"

"It was his name. He was a confidence man. Romanced my momma to get to the money, wiped them out clean, left a mess behind. So I wrote that letter. I wrote it knowing one day I'd find him. But that ain't the sad part. When I was 19, I needed 6 grand to pay these guys off I was in trouble with. So I found a pretty lady with a dumb husband who had some money. And I got them to give it to me. How's that for a tragedy? I became the man I was hunting. Became Sawyer. Don't you feel sorry for me?" Cassie got up from her spot next to Sawyer and laid the letter on his chest and walked out.

**Please please please review for more chapters! Pretty please with a cherry on top! It would make my day. **


	11. The Perfect Game

**Sorry I haven't written in a while, but I was waiting for a review and I finally got one! Thank you crystalwowwxx! It means more than you know! So if you read this please review : ) it'll make my day. **

Day 12

Cassie ripped the bandage on Sawyer's arm quickly in his tent with a sour look on her face. "Ow! Watch it Fruit Loop!"

"You pissed me off yesterday Sawyer. Now quit your moaning, I need to replace these bandages." She started to clean his wound again and as she put the bandages on him he started to talk again.

He smirked, "You're guilty aren't you? Guilty that you let that Arab beat me up while you and daddy just sat back and watched."

She shrugged, "I begged him to stop. I kissed you. I have nothing to feel guilty about. I'm only here because no one else wants to be."

"But you do," he looked up and gave her a small smile, but she didn't fall for it.

Cassie dropped the roll of bandages, not bothering to finish it up, "Do it yourself…"

As she walked out of the tent she saw Kate standing at the edge of the shoreline. After yesterday Cassie wouldn't quite mind talking to another female.

She looked worried and when Kate heard Cassie's footsteps she turned around, "It's been two days since Sayid took off on his own. I keep looking up, thinking I'm going to see him coming back."

"He'll come back. He's just looking for the French Transmission. That's all. I wouldn't be worried. After I saw what he did to Sawyer yesterday I think he'll be fine a couple days on his own." She said giving Kate a small reassuring smile.

Kate smiled back and nodded, "Yeah I guess you're right." There was an awkward silence for a moment as they looked off into the ocean until Kate finally said, "Hey Cassie?"

Cassie turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

"Yesterday, after your father and Sayid left you and Sawyer…I staid."

Cassie was speechless. She just looked at Kate with her mouth hanging open in shock and a little bit of nervousness. What did this mean? Was Kate going to tell her dad? Kate seemed a bit too cool to do that, "Sawyer already spilled it to my dad…"

"He did?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, when my dad was trying to put bandages on him he said it. My father hasn't said a word to me since…please don't tell him. It'll only get him even angrier."

Kate shook her head, "I won't. But Cassie…he's twice your age…"

I furrowed my eyebrows and couldn't help but to frown, "I'm not _with _him or anything. Besides some of my friends parents are distant in age. My friend Charlotte's father graduated high school when her mom was just an embryo. Even if I was with him it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but I'm not so don't worry about it."

"Has Sawyer tried taking advantage of you?" Kate suddenly asked.

Cassie's eyes widened and she stepped away from Kate, "No!"

Kate put her hands up, "Alright, alright, just asking. Because if he has I wouldn't mind beating him up for you."

That made Cassie smile a bit and she was glad that was the end of the conversation.

Day 13

Cassie sat next to Shannon and Boone the next morning eating breakfast like usual. She was starting to become friends with the brother and sister. Boone being the logical and kind one and Shannon being the dumb yet humorous one. If Shannon and Cassie were friends in another life or rather off the island Cassie would teach Shannon how to make French cream puffs, something she'd learned at an after-school catering job. Shannon would show her how to curl her eyelashes, which Cassie had never been able to properly master.

Cassie started conversation by telling Boone she once went to the same skate shop he got his shirt at in Honolulu during the summer. It was Eighty-Four Skate shop and the brand was the Blue Hawaii Surf Company. She even showed him the brown leather bracelet she got there.

As Boone and Cassie were having a conversation about Honolulu and Shannon was lazily painting her toe nails in the color Flash by Victoria's Secret, Charlie walked up to them. With his shadow hovering over them, Boone and Cassie looked up and Shannon accidentally screwed up on her paint job by slipping and got her dainty pink flip-flop with a slob of pain and hissed, "Shit!"

Cassie gave a smile and said, "Well hello Mr. Pace. How are you this morning?" For the first time she realized the tattoo on Charlie's arm that said, "Living is Easy with Eyes Closed". It was a quote from Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beattles.

"Quite fine actually. You?"

"Not too bad myself. Do ya need something?" Cassie asked a bit curious as to why Charlie came over. Maybe he just wanted to hang out along with them.

"You're never going to believe this. Someone at the caves decided to build a golf course."

Shannon stood up, "Are you high?"

Charlie looked at her for a moment, "Funny. No, but seriously, a golf course. Apparently you're father's playing with them right now," he said, looking at Cassie.

"Jack is golfing?" Kate asked, walking up to them.

"That's what I hear. I don't know about you guys but I'm going to go and check this out," Charlie said running off into the jungle.

Cassie shot up and looked down at Boone, "You coming?"

Boone grabbed her hand and stood up, "Definitely. I love golf. Shan are you coming?"

"Of course bonehead," she said and the four of them chased after Charlie.

Charlie led them to a plateau on the mountain where the game of golf was taking place. "Does this thing have a ladies team?" Kate asked.

"Hey when did you show up?" Jack asked, looking between the four of them.

"A while ago. I almost didn't recognize you. You're smiling," Kate said, lightly flirting.

Jack grinned at her, "I'll have to watch that."

"So how'd you come up with this?" Boone asked, stepping up.

Jack shook his head, "Wasn't me—it's all Hurley. I've been going crazy trying to make everyone feel safe. I haven't been sleeping because I want everyone to feel safe. And he builds a golf course and everyone feels safe."

Hurley swung his golf club and missed entirely, "Aw, crap, do over!"

Charlie teased him, "It's a mulligan, mulligan. It's a gentleman's sport, you've got to get the words right. Mulligan."

Walt came up to his father who was about to take a shot, "Dad?"

Michael gestured for him to come over, "Hey, come here. Check this out."

"You left me alone at the caves."

Michael furrowed his brows, "What? I left you with Claire."

"She's sleeping," Walt said flatly.

"Oh, man. I'm sorry. I just... I just got caught up. I'm really sorry Walt. I screwed up. I'll make it up to you. Hey, you want to play?" Michael asked.

Walt shook his head, "Nah, there's other people waiting."

"Oh no, don't worry about it, they won't mind. You want to take a swing?"

"Michael, it's your shot. You're up!" Charlie shouted.

"Oh, okay, cool," Michael said and then turned back to Walt, "So we'll play later okay?"

Michael hit the ball and it was soon flying over to the first hole. Then it was Charlie's turn. He started to pick grass out of the way and Cassie couldn't help but to laugh. "Guy's please," he said, "I've never made par on a course before." He then took the shot and ultimately misses.

"Dude, you were robbed!" Hurley shouted in glee from down below near the first hole.

"Bollocks! See that?" he turned over to Cassie and Jack.

"Okay, Jack. It's up to you. Sink this and you get to wear the blazer," Michael said.

Kate grinned, "No pressure."

"Yeah," Charlie teased, "No pressure."

"Five bucks he sinks it," Hurley smiled.

Charlie turned around and glared at him, "Hey! You're betting against me?!"

Hurley shrugged, "Sorry dude! You're a duffer, like me."

Boone stepped up, "Make it ten and you're on!"

"I've two tubes of sunscreen and a flashlight says he chokes," said a voice with Southern twang behind them.

Cassie turned around and wasn't sure if she wanted him to play or not. Everybody just stared at him for a moment until Cassie spoke up bravely, "I'll take that action."

Boone shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, me too."

Shannon snarled in jealousy, "You just bet on Jack, dumb-ass."

He gave her a mocking smile, "We need the sunscreen Princess."

And surprisingly everyone, even Jack, agreed to allow Sawyer to play.

**Please with review with a cherry on top! It would make my day : ) **


	12. Mother Dearest

**I would like to specifically thank Kagome-Alassiel for including _In My Daughter's Eyes _in your Community of favorite OCs, Mixture Of Life. It means a lot to me and I'm glad that you like the character of Cassie. Thank you for the kind reviews on the golf scene in the last chapter. I hope you like this chapter as much as you did the last. Thanks again and please review : ) **

Day 15

It was the middle of the night…or the early morning and everyone on the beach woke up to Claire's horrified screams. Cassie shot up quickly and ran over to her tent along with Hurley and Michael. Charlie was already there comforting her and Cassie kneeled down next to her looking in shock at the blood left on the blankets. Cassie's eyes widened in fear of what happened, but when Michael got out his flashlight they could all see that Claire dug her nails into her palms.

After they calmed her down Claire followed Cassie to her medical tent and tended to her wounds nonchalantly asking her about how the pregnancy was going as they went along figuring out she was in her third trimester and would most likely have her baby soon.

When Claire was back in her tent Cassie went back to hers and passed out. Ever since she's been on the island she's felt tired the majority of her time awake.

In the morning Claire came over to Cassie's tent and said, "Hey, um, I just thought I should tell you I'm moving to the caves."

Cassie didn't quite know what to say. Did she do something wrong? Why was Claire even telling her this? Did she feel obligated to tell her? But instead of asking these questions Cassie just replied, "I understand. If I were you I'd be moving there too. I mean, it's safer there and you'll be in good hands with my father. He knows more stuff about this than I do…" Cassie said looking out at the ocean as her father and Kate were talking on the ocean's edge.

Claire nodded, "Yeah, I guess so…but you're good too. I mean look at what you did for Shannon and the guy with the shrapnel in his gut."

Cassie wanted to interject that her father was there for both of those situations, but just said, "Um, yeah…do you need help moving?"

Day 16

The next day word came from the caves that Claire was attacked in her sleep. Personally, Cassie thought it was just another nightmare, but when Hurley started coming around with the census of everyone on the plane, Cassie was getting a bit suspicious of the people around her.

The majority of the people on the beach started packing their things up to go to the caves and when Shannon and Boone decided to go too Cassie thought, why not? Boone came in her tent when she was packing up the medical supplies in a brown bag, the rest of her stuff already packed in her own luggage.

"Do you need help?" he asked politely.

Cassie smiled up at him and shook her head, "No, I'm alright."

She liked Boone. He was a kind person and was always sincere. "So, what's your reasoning for moving to the caves?" he asked curiously.

Cassie shrugged, "Well it gets tiring going back and forth to the caves for supplies and most people are at the caves already. If someone is in trouble on the beach…well they can come to the caves. Besides, it's easier to have all of the supplies and everyone else in one place, right?"

Boone nodded, "Right…" before he left he turned around and asked, "Are you sure you don't need help with anything? I mean you have a lot of stuff."

She shook her head and laughed, "Boone, thanks, but I'm fine. Just take care of yours and Shannon's stuff."

Boone gave her a small smile and nodded, "Alright."

XXXXX

Cassie threw the brown back pack filled with the medical supplies over her shoulder and heaved her luggage behind her on the uneven sand. Boone looked at her from a distance already going back to caves and told Shannon to hurry up as she put a brush, nail polish and a magazine into her beach bag she used at the Australia beaches.

Sawyer smirked as he watched Boone chase after Cassie with his stuff and Shannon dragging behind him. Hurley then began to catch up to them and Sawyer huffed, _does Tubby like Miss Sass-a-frass now too? _

"You want my information?" Shannon asked, "Name: Shannon Rutherford. Age: 20. Address: Craphole Island."

Cassie grimaced as Hurley went on and asked, "So, uh, where were you guys last night?"

Cassie looked up at Hurley and said, "At the beach. We were all at the beach, Hurley."

Boone furrowed his brows and asked, "Why the interrogation, man?"

Hurley sighed, "You're like the twentieth person to ask me that. Why is everyone so uptight about answering a few questions?"

"Well, maybe we're just not cool with you setting up your own little Patriot Act, man," Boone said pulling the strap of his back pack up.

"He's a liberal," Shannon said nonchalantly.

Boone looked up at Hurley, "But seriously, why the list?"

"There was an incident at the caves, last night," Cassie answered, "Claire was attacked last night or so she thinks and Hurley thought it would be a good idea to take a census of everyone who's here."

"Is she okay?" Boone asked, looking genuinely concerned.

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, but just a little shaken up, that's all. For all we know it might've been just a dream."

To Hurley, Boone said, "You know, your life would be so much easier if you just had the manifest as we crossed out all the names of the dead after we burned the fuselage, so it should be a full roster of the rest of us."

Hurley raised his brows, "What? Really? Who has it?"

In unison Cassie and Boone replied, "Who do you think?"

And soon enough Hurley was jogging to Sawyer's tent to get the manifest and surprisingly…he got it.

XXXXX

When Cassie, Boone and Shannon got to the caves, Sayid was there too. Cassie set down her stuff and ran over to see what was going on.

"Listen to me," he said, "I found her, the French woman."

Jack turned to Kate, "I need some water. What happened?" he asked, tending to Sayid's wounded leg.

Sayid was out of breath as he said, "The woman—on the island. I had to come back. I had to come back. We're not alone…"

Then Hurley came bursting into the caves from the jungle saying, "We've got a problem. The manifest, Jack, the census, the names of everyone who survived all 46 of us. I interviewed everyone. Here, at the beach, got their names," Jack wasn't paying attention, "One them, one of them isn't - Jack! One of them isn't in the manifest. He wasn't on the plane."

Cassie and Jack both looked up at that and Cassie stood up, "Where's Claire?"

_Flashback _

Cassie hurried around the house, cleaning everything as she went along. Her mother's arrival from the MHF was something big for Cassie. She hasn't seen her mother for months and her father has been away too with work and Jill.

She drank a glass of sparkling water that sat on a wooden coaster on the mequite coffee table and quickly washed it in the sink and placed it back in the cupboard. Cassie then took an unopened copy of Teen Vogue that was lying on the floor and placed it upstairs in her room.

Cassie fumbling with her fingers perched on the suede wing chair and stared helplessly around the room at the south-west chic design-lot's of desert-y tans and reds, a zigzag Navajo blanket thrown over the leather couch, a white fluffy shag rug that was amazingly clean, and a wood-beamed ceiling with several slowly rotating fans. And of course the Steinway grand piano stood by the window. She sighed as she inspected everything she cleaned; making sure it all looked perfect.

When the front door open she shot up out of her seat and when she saw her mother standing there she ran, almost falling on the clean wooden floors and embraced Jill.

Jill had tears streaming down her eyes as she stroked Cassie's hair and said, "Oh, my sweet baby girl, I'm so glad I'm home…"

Jack, Jill's mother and Joey stood in the doorway with smiles on their faces as they watched the two.

Cassie had tears coming down her eyes as well as she said, "I'm glad you're home too mom…I've missed you."

Jill pulled away slowly and smiled as she touched her daughter's cheek with a smile, "Oh…I'm sorry I had to leave."

Cassie shook her head, "No, it's fine mom. Trust me."

**Please review for this chapter, I know not much happened, but I do believe I have figured out the pairing for this story…love triangle for Boone, Cassie and Sawyer? Tell me who you want her to end up with and why. Thanks for reading this and please be kind enough to review. It would make my day : ) **


	13. To Have What It Takes

**Thank you for all of the kind reviews and for following me and putting this story into your favorites! It means the world to me and I love you all for it. **

** Ella: Oh, thank you and I'm glad you found me as an inspiration. That is very flattering :-) If you do get a fanfic account please tell me your username and I'll make sure to read your story if you do decide to write one! **

** shadowboxing: Remember, with an OC there comes many changes in the plot of the original story. Just because Boone died in the show it doesn't mean he has to die in the story. Cassie could possibly change that…but I'm not going to give anything away. **

_Flashback _

Jill's mother made spaghetti that night with the help of her daughter and made the special sauce that went along with it. Jill seemed happy so everyone else was happy too. As the spaghetti was boiling in the pot Jill, Cassie and Jack all sat together as a family on the living room couch talking about work, horses and school. It seemed as if everything was normal again.

"Baby girl?" Jill whispered into her daughter's hair.

Cassie looked up, "Yeah mom?"

"You know I love you with all my heart, right?" she sounded like she was about to cry, but at the same time she sounded so sure of herself and confident.

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, I know mom…" she murmured, "I love you too. Do you think you'll be staying with us for a while?" She didn't know why she asked it, but Jack got up to help his mother fix the table right before she asked. He probably would've been pissed if he heard her.

Jill didn't reply because her mother called them out because dinner was ready. Jill's and Jack's family all sat around the large table, eating and laughing and Cassie was glad that the room was filled with talk and happiness rather than the clinking of silverware which she usually got when it was just her and Jack.

When they were all done, Jill excused herself from the table to go out and see the horses that she so dearly missed. Everyone allowed her to and before she left she gave them all a kiss and said an "I love you" to each and every one of them. Cassie thought her mom was really better and she was so happy in ways that words cannot describe. So she put a smile on her face like everyone else and helped her grandmother wash the dishes.

_Present Day _

Day 16

"He wasn't on the plane," Hurley said frantically.

Kate stepped forward, "Who wasn't on the plane?"

"Ethan!" Hurley exclaimed, "The Canadian guy, he is not on the passenger manifest!"

Jack got a bit red in the face at the realization of it all, "Well, where the hell is he?"

Hurley shook his head, "I don't know. I saw him yesterday, but now…"

Cassie stepped back out of the caves as Jack and everyone else started to talk frantically about the missing Ethan, Charlie and Claire. A lot of people split up like Jack and John, but the only people left in the caves were Cassie, Kate, Boone, Michael, Walt and Shannon.

Boone came up to Cassie and sat next to her as they all waited for something to happen, "What do you think happened?"

"I think there are others on this island that we just don't know about yet…and for some reason they're deciding to take Claire and Charlie," Cassie said nonchalantly looking off into the distance as she did.

Boone furrowed his brows, "Really?"

Cassie shrugged, "Why not?"

After a while John came back alone without Jack and explained that Jack went off to search for Claire, Charlie and Ethan on his own.

"You let him go alone?" Kate asked incredulously.

Cassie looked at John like Kate did, as if he was crazy and John looked back at her and said in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. I'll catch up. What's the word from the beach?"

"Nothing," Kate replied, "No one has seen him."

Locke handed Cassie a knife, "You want to search for your father and the others right?"

Cassie nodded in reply.

"I'm coming with you too," Kate replied and Locke didn't hesitate to hand her a knife too. The man seemed to be loaded with them.

Locke nodded, "I figured you might…"

Boone started to come up after the group and Shannon pulled him back, "What are you doing? We need to get our water and go back to the beach…"

But Boone ignored her and met up with the others, wanting to go with them, but mainly to protect Cassie. That was his goal. "I heard you're forming a search party," Boone said to Locke, "Can I help?"

Shannon complained, "This is a deserted island."

"I wouldn't call it deserted," Cassie added, but Shannon went on.

"There's no choppers, no Amber Alerts. How exactly are you going to find them?" Shannon asked in disbelief.

Locke looked at her calmly and explained, "By following Ethan's trail. No one can walk through the wilderness without leaving signs, bending blades of grass, breaking twigs, especially with two captives in tow. And yes, I could use another hand if you're up for it," he said back to Boone.

"I'm up for it," he replied confidently.

Locke handed him a knife and all of them were thinking how many he had with him, "Then let's get moving."

Walt came up from behind them with his dog Vincent and said, "I could take Vincent, he could sniff something that belonged to Claire. And I can help," he said it with a hopeful tone and Cassie couldn't help it but to think that the little boy and his dog were the cutest thing.

Michael came up from behind his son, "I said no, man. Hey, Locke. Hey, look, you know, a lot of us don't just wanna sit here and wait for news."

"Thanks," Locke replied, "But we're set. Anyone else will just slow us down."

He nodded, "Okay. Maybe I'll just put together another party."

Locke gave him one of those small yet encouraging smiles, "Good idea. We're going north. I suggest you go south."

The group headed out and Cassie felt bad for Michael, Walt and the others who only wanted to help. When they walked into a clearing they found Jack who seemed to be out of breath from running and Cassie probably was the most embarrassed person on the island at that point when Locke said, "Jack, it's a good thing you were going in a circle. Not much of a search grid, but we never would have found you otherwise."

"Did you find anything?" Kate asked.

Jack looked at Cassie for a moment, surprised that she was even out here and replied back to Kate, "No…"

"You should go back to the caves," Locke suggested, "Sayid's leg…"

Cassie shook her head, "He already dressed Sayid's leg."

Jack nodded, "You found me, and we can find Charlie and Claire. Now, do we have a trail to follow or not?"

Locke looked at the ground for a moment and then said, "Jack, this was my fault."

"What?" Jack asked in surprise.

"I hunted with Ethan," Locke explained, "I spent time with him. I never sensed anything—off. But for everything I know about hunting, tracking—whoever he is, he knows me. If we catch up with him, I don't want anything to happen to the only trained physician on the island. So go back, be the doctor. Let me be the hunter."

Jack shook his head and didn't listen to him, "Can we go now?"

Sighing and in a rather exasperated tone Locke nodded, "Follow me."

The group started going deeper into the jungle and as they did Locke started ripping fabric with his teeth and tying the strands to tree branches and bushes saying that they would tie them off so they know if they're walking in circles and so they can find their way back if lost.

Cassie and Boone followed close to Locke as Jack and Kate were a bit further behind. "You can lead us back to camp, right?" Boone asked.

"If nothing happens to me," Locke replied with a small smile.

Boone nodded, "Maybe I better take marker detail."

Locke smiled at both Boone and Cassie and for just a second thought they were a couple, but then Jack and Kate caught up to them.

"Anything?" Jack asked.

Shaking his head John replied, "Not yet."

"If you can't find the trail…" Jack started in an impatient tone, shaking his head. Cassie glared at him as he did so. _Cut the old man some slack, Dad, _Cassie thought.

John began to grow frustrated as he said, "I'll pick it up again, alright? We need to rest for a minute to get our clarity back."

"You're going to take a break?" Jack asked in disbelief and when he did Cassie could hear someone whisper to her in the jungle.

"Cassie!" someone hissed and Cassie swirled around to find the source and saw Jacob.

Her eyes widened and as he beckoned her over to him with a wave of his hand Cassie looked at the others hesitantly. Boone and Locke were resting on a fallen tree and Jack and Kate were talking in the distance.

"They won't notice you're gone, Cassie," Jacob whispered so only she could hear. Nobody seemed to realize she was talking to someone. When she noticed nobody really cared she stepped further into the jungle and stood beside Jacob.

With a raised brow and her arms crossed over her chest she asked eagerly, "What do you need?"

He grinned, "Do you want to find Charlie and Claire?"

Cassie looked at Jacob incredulously with furrowed brows, "Of course!"

Jacob looked behind her for a moment at the others and nodded, "Then you need to listen to me. Pay attention closely." Cassie didn't know why she had to take orders from him and she was more than curious about his origins. For all she knew he could've been a part of Ethan's group and devised this whole plan about taking Charlie and Claire, but without further ado she leaned in and listened carefully to what he had to say, "I want you to go around the mountain, opposite of where your father and the rest of your group are heading. Keep on going east and even if you hear people calling for you I don't want you to stop and go back to them. As you circle the mountain, you'll find a cave; the cave with have a small fire inside and preserves. Stay there until a man comes and finds you. Before he questions you tell him that I sent you. He'll take you to his people, where they're holding Claire and Charlie. I'll give you further instructions once you get to their camp. Do you understand everything that I've told you?"

Cassie nodded and before he could turn around and leave she put a hand on his arm, "Are you a part of that group? The one that's holding Claire and Charlie?" She was a bit worried that she wouldn't like his answer.

He shook his head with that awkward smile, "No. I'm a part of no group, but mine alone. All I want to do is protect the island. Do you still have those rocks I gave you?"

"Yeah, they're right in my bag," she said, gesturing to her pack.

Jacob looked at her father's group and nodded, "Good, now I suggest you get a head start before they realize you're gone."

Before leaving Cassie looked at Jacob with worried eyes and asked, "What if I don't find the cave? What if I don't find Charlie and Claire?"

Jacob looked down at her and rested a hand on her shoulder. With a reassuring smile he said, "Cassie, you have what it takes. I believe in you. Now go."

She nodded and without looking behind her, she headed deeper into the jungle, heading east.

XXXXX

Boone looked over his shoulder, thinking that he would see Cassie, but when all he saw was Jack and Kate he got up and looked around for Cassie. Not finding her, John spoke his mind, "Where's Cassie?"

Jack and Kate looked up and like Boone and John, looked around. "She was right here a minute ago," Boone said, dumbfound.

"Cassie!" Jack called out for his daughter and he started breathing heavily. Where was she? When she didn't reply he started searching feverously.

They tried finding a trail for a while, but coming up with nothing Kate sighed, beaten, "It's like she just disappeared into thin air," she snapped her fingers, "Gone. There's no trail at all."

John nodded, "We were all too busy socializing and worrying about our own problems we didn't even notice she was gone," he looked at all of them and when his eyes settled on Jack he asked, "What do you suggest we do, Jack?" The way he asked sounded civil, but Jack could hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"We split up," Jack said simply. He turned to Boone and asked, "Can you go back to the caves and the beach?" Boone nodded, "Gather some more people for a search party of not two, but now three missing people. If Cassie is there I don't want you to come back and look for us, there's no need for you to try to find us again just to give a message. We'll come back when it starts to grow dark, alright?"

Boone nodded and worried for Cassie he headed back to the beach.

XXXXX

Cassie's heart leapt into her throat when a snake slithered past her feet, paying absolutely no notice to her, and then watches in fascination a few minutes later when a scorpion follows suit.

_Well, let's hope my luck works on bigger animals too—like those of the warm-blooded, carnivorous, mammal variety, _thought Cassie, thinking particularly of the Smoke in the jungle that she encountered on her first day on the island. Although she was pretty sure it was a figment of her imagination, she had the slight inkling that maybe it was real.

The sun was still up when Cassie had finally gotten to the cave and like Jacob said there was a small fire and preserves in it. Cassie ventured into the cave and then further in. Noting how the cave's smooth walls narrow—how its ceiling shrinks until it ultimately ends at a point in the dirt.

It's not nearly as big as Cassie had imagined.

It's not nearly as scary either.

Cassie considered that a good thing. She'd take what she could get.

At first glance, it seems there's nothing special about it. Seems like any other cave she's ever seen on TV or in movies, despite lack of stick-figure battle scenes and other kinds of hieroglyphs.

Though a closer look reveals that she's wrong. There's a series of scrawls on the far part of the wall that she somehow missed at first glance. A long list of names, some crossed out.

Each of them leaving what seemed to be a last name with a number beside it.

Sullivan is the first—his or her name appearing at the highest point possible—scrawled in the space where the wall curves into the ceiling. His or her writing faded and angular. Cassie knew a Sullivan. He was the rash guy that came to the golf tournament, but surely he didn't scribble his name here. It looked so old.

Lacombe is next, and just beside him a large number two.

Grobler, number three, was the first to be crossed off. When Cassie's eyes landed on number four she stepped back with her eyes widened; it was Locke. That right there was no coincidence. The last name Locke wasn't so common like Sullivan. _John has been here, _she thought, _either that or Jacob etched it down. _She quickly concluded that this was Jacob's doing. Barnes was five, Jensen six and Enright seven. And there, as number eight, Cassie spied the name Reyes in a strong loopy scrawl. _Hurley, _Cassie was quick to think. She had no idea what to think about all of the familiar names.

She leaned back on her heels, struck by the enormity of all the people on the island.

Cassie was so used to being a loner, so used to Jack and her solitary existence, she never realized there was a whole list of people as large as this stuck in the same position.

This was so much bigger than she thought.

When Cassie realized these were all the people on the island, or once on the island, she quickly searched for her last name, her eyes scrolling down frantically. Finally she spotted the last name Shepherd as twenty-three. She wringed her hands together; all of this kind of crept her out. Cassie then noticed that the name Barnes was repeated three times on the list as five, seventeen and forty-three. When she realized that Shepherd only appeared once she was quick to assume that it just meant her father.

Getting a bit pissed off about it, Cassie reached down on the floor, retrieving one of the small chalk stubs Jacob must've tossed on the ground.

She bit down on her lip, noting how her freshly scrawled last name, standing on its own, without the addition of _Cassie, _looks oddly alone and just a repeat of number twenty-three.

Cassie gripped the chalk tighter, and started to add the number three hundred and sixty one to the far right and then hesitated a moment before scribbling down _Cassie. _Looking up at all of the other names she decided to put a circle over hers, trying to define her name more different than all of the others. Then she sat back to admire it, figuring if nothing else, this wall will keep her company.

She considered adding a few more doodles to pass the time, but it's a fleeting thought she's quick to discard. It doesn't feel right, seems almost disrespectful. The cave seemed like a sacred place—any extraneous scribbles will only amount to graffiti.

Cassie got up. In search of anything she might've missed the first time. But in the end, she was just walking in circles. Other than the long list of names, there's not much to it. So after going through a series of stretches, followed by a handful of yoga poses her mother taught her, she took a quick peek outside, fails to see anything of note, then plopped herself down in the middle of the cave, deciding to go quiet and still and wait for something to happen—for a life-defining revelation.

Though she's only a few minutes in when she grow hungry and restless and bored. She's no good at meditating, no good at sitting still unless she has a book. So she reached into her bag and her eyes widened when she saw there was no water and no food. Cassie looked around the cave for the preserves only to find they had vanished. This was almost like a purification fast, waiting for that guy Jacob was talking about to come.

_Do not leave the cave, Cassie, _a voice murmured. It made Cassie jump in surprise and turn around to see no one there. She was officially going crazy. It sounded like Jacob to her though, if she were to decide.

Cassie glanced between where she was and the border beyond the cave and decided to listen to the advice, no matter what.

And though she tried to meditate again, it's no use. She can't silence her mind. So she leaned against the wall of the island inhabitants names, hoping it'll make her feel less alone, remind her that she's probably not the first to endure this ordeal.

_Flashback _

Cassie put the last of the dishes away for her grandmother and when she was done she went out through the sliding back door and headed towards the barn, where Jill was. When Cassie entered the barn she called out, "Mom, have you seen Max yet? He's looking great and is ready for show season! Mom?" When Jill didn't answer Cassie looked around and noticed her mother's horse, Pegasus, stall was empty, but there was no riding gear taken out of the back room. Not even a bridle. Jill must've taken him out totally bareback. Cassie understood why, too. Her mom must've wanted to reconnect with the horse after a long time of absence.

Without hesitation, Cassie got out a saddle and bridle and placed them on Max. She got on him and ducked her head as they made their way out of the barn.

It was a beautiful, crisp September day. The aroma of apples hung in the air despite the city center of Los Angeles being only a few miles away. As Cassie looked around she could imagine her mother wearing a straw hat and rolled up jeans, with her gardening shears to prune the bushes behind the back that needed attention.

She followed Pegasus's hoof prints to the very back of her family's property and as she went it started to rain, making puddles out of the tracks. As the rain became heavier Cassie decided to hop off of Max and walk him since she couldn't see the trail after a while because of the rain. In the distance near a small wooded area in the back, Cassie could hear Pegasus whinnying and she was quick to run over there.

Cassie smiled when she saw Pegasus, but the smile was soon to vanish as she saw what Pegasus was going ballistic for. Tears streamed down Cassie's eyes and she cried out as Jill dangled from a willow tree by one of the lead ropes from the barn. Her body swayed in the wind and her head drooped down, her face half covered by her wet strands of hair. Cassie stumbled to her mother in the rain as her sweater and jeans began to cling to her skin. Her mouth hung open as she silently cried. Cassie fell down to her knees before her mother and when she dropped her head down low, weeping, she saw the stool that her mother kicked down. Right beside it was a closed bottle of Tylenol. It was the one that Cassie kept in the barn when she got her frequent headaches. Jill had brought them and the rope along with her, but decided she didn't want to have any chance of living so she favored the rope.

With shaking hands Cassie opened the Tylenol and popped one into her mouth. Then another and then another. She didn't want to feel the pain anymore. She wanted to be with her mother. Finally the bottle was empty. Twelve was the number. Her heart started to pound against her chest like a hammer and slowly, yet surely, she slipped into unconsciousness.

_Present Day _

Boone rushed into the caves and called out, "Is Cassie here?"

Walt looked up at Boone and shook his head, "I thought she went with you?"

He nodded, "She did, but she disappeared. The people who took Claire and Charlie took her too."

Sawyer, who came in the caves originally seeking retribution on Sayid for the torture came up from behind them and asked, "Now what's goin' on?"

"Cassie's gone," Boone said, forgetting his earlier differences with Sawyer. They were both worried about Cassie now, "Our backs were turned for just a few minutes, and the next thing we knew she was gone. It's like she disappeared into thin air. She left no trail. Nothing. I believe that the people that took Charlie and Claire took Cassie too."

Sawyer's jaw fell open, but he was quick to shut it and then say, "We need to get a group together. We need to find her. Find them." He quickly added.

Boone nodded, "That's what I came here for. Now are you sure she's not on the beach?"

"I haven't seen her all day," Sawyer replied.

Walt ran over to his father and told him everything and Michael, now deciding to stand up and do what he wanted to in the beginning gathered two other men, Arthur and Sullivan, into the search party. Before they were going about to head out Sayid quickly decided to go with them, to Sawyer's chagrin. But Sawyer didn't dwell too long over this new addition to the search party because when they headed out his mind was set on one thing and one thing only: finding Cassie. Sawyer was determined. He found her once and he would find her again.

Boone and Sawyer walked in the lead of the search party, one equally determined as the other to find Cassie.

XXXXX

After the close encounter with Ethan, Jack and Kate ran through the woods and just like he found his wife dead and his daughter close to death that on the worst day of his life, he found Charlie hanging from a tree. "No," Jack gasped out. He ran over to Charlie and lifted him up by the legs, "You've got to cut him down," he said to Kate.

Kate was quick to start climbing the tree and Jack breathed heavily, "Hold on, Charlie. Hold on."

She attempted to cut him down, but it was too far out for her to cut it properly, "I can't reach! Pull him over to me!"

Finally, Kate got him down and held his hand as Jack started doing CPR. "He's not breathing," Jack gasped out, "C'mon, breathe, Charlie. C'mon, breathe. C'mon. C'mon."

After a few moments of no response Kate began to cry, while Jack kept on pounding on his chest, urging Charlie to come back to them. "Jack, Jack stop, he's not…! Jack stop, he's not coming…"

And finally he did stop.

_Flashback _

Jack found his wife and daughter after deciding to go out and get them inside from the rain. For only five seconds, he let the sadness and complete feeling of defeat wash over him, but only for five seconds. Then when he opened his eyes after those five seconds he walked over to Jill and just by looking at her and holding her hand, he could tell she was a lost cause. He decided this quickly and looked down and took Cassie up from beneath her arms and pulled her to a nearby tree, "Cassie! Don't you die!" he cried. He sat back up against the tree and pulled her closer to him, "Don't you die on my now, Cassie!"

Without hesitation or thought he stuck his index and middle fingers into her mouth and leaned her forward as she puked out some of the pills. The bile was washed away by the rain and she came back, crying and he could decipher her cries just a little bit, "Why'd you do that?"

Jack cried at this and pulled her hair away from her face and kissed the back of her head, "Shh…I've got you, sweetie. My little girl…" Cassie started to slip back into the void of unconsciousness once more. Jack shook her, "No, stay with me Cassie. Stay with me." He told her to keep on talking to him, but it failed and he put her in recovery position.

He called 911 and got Cassie into the ambulance. His daughter wasn't going to die. Not tonight.

_Present Day _

Jack looked down at Charlie's unconscious body and started to cry at the memories and the situation he was faced with now. Kate tried to console him, "It's okay, it's okay…"

He pushed her away and shook his head, "No…no."

"Jack. Jack!" she tried to stop him from continuing CPR, but he began the pound Charlie's chest again, refusing to give up.

Kate cried, "Stop! Stop!"

Jack continued despite Kate's pleading, "C'mon, c'mon!"

This time, Charlie wakes up, finally breathing, gasping in and coughing for air. "Just breathe, breathe. Breathe deep, breathe deep. You're okay," Jack reassured him.

Kate and Jack looked at each other with tears of joy.

XXXXX

As it grew darker the search party was about to turn back, but not before John Locke caught up to them. Sawyer turned around and said, "Well if it isn't Daniel Boone himself," he stepped forward to Locke, "And I can see you've found no one. Kudos to you."

Locke stayed in his calm and collected self, "And you, Sawyer? Have you found anyone?"

Before Sawyer could reply with a snarky comeback, Boone stepped in, "Don't mind him, it's just…I don't see how you can still be following this trail."

"We should all go back," Michael said, looking up at the night sky. He wanted to help, but he needed to get back to Walt. It was his duty as a father.

John shook his head, a bit annoyed by them giving up, but he could tell Sawyer, Boone and Sayid were more than willing to stay out longer. But it wasn't just the missing people Locke was staying out here for, it was something else entirely. He could feel something powerful on this trail he had. "Don't you feel it?" Locke asked, looking at them all.

Boone looked at Locke with furrowed brows, "Feel what?"

John studied his surroundings and with uncertainty of what exactly it was he replied, "It," With conviction.

Michael shook his head, finally believing that the older man had gone off his rocker. "Whatever you say, man. We're going to follow the strips back."

Arthur and Sullivan nodded, but Sawyer, Boone and Sayid stayed grounded. Michael nodded at them and he and the other men turned around to leave.

After they had gone Locke turned to Boone and gestured to the flashlight he was holding, "Shine this on the ground as we walk." He tossed the flashlight to Boone, but Boone wasn't too quick to catch it and it fell to the soil of the forest. As it hit the ground a metal _k-thunk _could be heard.

Sawyer furrowed his brows, "Now what the hell was that?"

John and Sayid started to dig up the plant surrounding the flashlight, finally exposing a piece of metal. Sayid took his knife and banged it against the metal, "Steel," he informed them.

"Could that be part of the plane?" Boone questioned, "Part of the wreckage?"

Sayid shook his head, "Highly doubtful," knocking on a few more places with his knife.

Sawyer looked at it and a bit worried yet curious as to what it really was he asked again, "What is it?"

Locke looked up at Boone and Sawyer and said with one of his awkward smiles, "That's what we're going to find out."

Boone and Sawyer kneeled down next to them and all four men started to unearth the structure underground.

**Now this is the first big difference Cassie has caused in the Losties lives! In the show it was originally just Boone and Locke since Kate and Jack followed another trail, but since Boone went out to get more people that didn't happen, ultimately changing his life. Anyway, I'm sorry for the more depressing scenes in this chapter for those who do not like that sort of stuff, but it was part of my outline and therefore just had to happen. The song I was listening to in the making of this chapter was **_**Running Up That Hill **_**by Placebo. Also, I got a Twitter account as a way to keep touch with all of my readers and inform you all on new updates besides the common e-mail. Follow me at SalvatoreGirl64! I'll be posting sneak peeks and of course the links to my updated stories. Tweet me and I'll tweet back! Anyway, hope you're all having a wonderful summer and please review, sub, favorite and tweet for more. It would make my day :-) **


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